The emergency mental health help available over Bank Holiday Pride weekend

There is emergency mental health help available over the Bank Holiday and Manchester Pride weekend, medics are reminding people in Greater Manchester.

Some of the help on offer includes the mental health joint response car service is jointly run across Bolton, Salford, Manchester, Trafford and Wigan. A mental health clinician attends incidents alongside the police.

The 24/7 mental health helpline is also available for you or anyone you know experiencing a mental health crisis over the weekend. It is free of charge on 0800 953 0285 .

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The mental health joint response car has been running in Wigan since July 2020. It operates seven days a week and, so far, 1,650 people have been supported with their mental health.

The mental health clinician provides specialist mental health support there and then at the scene, and organises the best follow up support or treatment that may be needed. This could include getting the individual to a place of safety, supporting them with further help from community services or inpatient services.

This means that people can get 'the right care and support as quickly as possible, without having to go through other emergency routes'. It is also hoped to reduce the number of people presenting to A&E and other emergency services at busy times, according to Greater Manchester mental health chiefs.

The car service will now be extended into this winter to help deal with the anticipated peaks in NHS demand.

Sian Wimbury, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Greater Manchester Mental Health, said: “We are so proud of our mental health joint response car initiative, which reflects a