Introducing new Mental Health Response Vehicles

Amy Stubbs – Monday 4^th November 2023 – 8am.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) is launching five brand-new Mental Health Response Vehicles (MHRVs) today, to provide enhanced assessment and care to patients of all ages.

MHRVs are a new, first-line response service to attend patients presenting via 999 or 111 using a new national specification of Mental Health Vehicle, to patients who are requiring an ambulance response, where the primary complaint is a mental health concern.

The vehicles will be staffed by Specialist Mental Health Paramedics, who have received additional training in Mental Health Practice, and either a Student Paramedic or Technician who will have the opportunity to enhance their understanding and knowledge of managing mental health presentations. 

The five new MHRVs are hosted at:

• Coventry
• Hollymoor
• Shrewsbury
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Worcester

There is currently no planned MHRV provision for the Black Country hosted by the Trust, and Black Country Integrated Care Board will be launching their own service in the area in due course.

Head of Clinical Practice for Mental Health, Richard Corrall, said: “This is an exciting new service for responding to calls relating to mental health. We recognise there is more we can do to support these patients and direct them to the most appropriate pathways. 

“This represents a huge opportunity for the Trust to meet their needs and establish parity of esteem between physical and mental health needs.”

As this is a new addition to the service, ambulances will still attend Mental Health cases where necessary. Mental Health Nurses working within the Clinical Validation Team in the Emergency Operations Centre, will also be available to support crews for further advice at the scene.

Ends.