A mental health helpline for Lincolnshire is to cease working on Sunday (June 1)
The Mental Health Matters 24-hour helpline for people in Lincolnshire was introduced in 2019.
According to the NHS it received more than 1,500 calls in its first year in operation of which 25 per cent contacted daily for support.
The Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust now says that it is receiving fewer calls after the launch of the national NHS 111 line.
Callers to that number can select option two for mental health.
Children, young people and their families seeking support should continue to call the Lincolnshire Here4
You advice line on 0800 2346342 (open 24/7).
A spokesman for the trust said: “Calls to the county’s adult Mental Health Matters (MHM) helpline have slowly decreased since the introduction of NHS 111 and, with the launch and expansion of the How Are You (H.A.Y.) Lincolnshire website as well, people now have lots of alternative options for seeking support, either in a crisis, or for general advice, support and signposting.
“For that reason, LPFT, in conjunction with the commissioners NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, has taken the decision to move to just one adult mental health helpline in the county from the end of May, winding down the line provided by Mental Health Matters.
“From June 1, the Mental Health Matters helpline on 0800 0014331 will no longer be available and those in need of urgent mental health support and experiencing a crisis should call NHS 111, and select option two for mental health.”
Eve Baird, chief operating officer at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are continually reviewing the services we provide to the public across Lincolnshire to make sure they are as effective and efficient as possible. Moving to just one adult mental health helpline in the county means that those needing support are directed to trained mental health professionals straight away, streamlining and simplifying the overall processes for accessing help.
“For those not in immediate mental health crisis, there are now a number of places people can go to for support – not least the H.A.Y. Lincolnshire website and also the network of local community hubs and night light cafes.
Full details of these are available on H.A.Y. Lincolnshire.
