Record number of people visit Northampton's A&E for help with mental health crises

The number has risen by more than a third in just two years to 1,800.
More people than ever are visiting A&E for mental health issues.More people than ever are visiting A&E for mental health issues.
More people than ever are visiting A&E for mental health issues.

More people than ever went to Northampton's A&E last year asking for help with their mental health.

Northampton General Hospital was visited 1,870 times in 2018/19 by people suffering from a mental health episode.

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It compares to 1,214 people in 2016/17, a jump of more than a third in just two years.

Meanwhile, in 2018/19, 1,371 people went to hospital for treatment for deliberate self harm, and 1,888 people were treated for intentional overdose or poisoning.

Where can you turn to for help with your mental health in Northampton?

Immediate help

NHS guidelines says a mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a medical emergency.Examples of mental health emergencies include thinking you're at risk of taking your own life or seriously harming yourself and needing immediate medical attention. The NHS website says to go to A&E if you need immediate help or are worried about your safety or the safety of others.

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Call NHS 111 if you or someone you know needs urgent care but it's not life-threatening.

Samaritans has a free to call service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if you want to talk to someone in confidence. Call them on 116 123.

Crisis Cafes

There are several crisis cafes run throughout Northampton that offer drop-in services for people to visit, talk about their mental wellbeing and get advice on what to do next.

Mental health charity Northampton MIND holds cafes at 6 Regent Square three times a week. They are available between 5pm and 10pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, and between 2pm and 10pm on Saturdays.

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Youth mental health charity The Lowdown hosts a crisis cafe for people under 18 at Cafe Track on 18 Market Square, Northampton, between 4pm and 8pm every Monday.

A Crisis cafe is held somewhere in Northamptonshire every day. For a full list of cafes, visit this page on the Northampton MIND website.Other services