Construction work on a new £4.8m mental health crisis assessment centre at St George’s Hospital in Stafford has begun.

Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the specialist facility will offer immediate assessment and support to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, serving as an alternative to emergency departments for people facing urgent but non-life-threatening mental health needs.

It is due to open its doors in October.

The centre will comprise two crisis assessment rooms, alongside a new health-based Place of Safety, also known as a 136 Suite, that provides a safe and comfortable environment where a person can be assessed.

Jennie Collier, managing director of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust’s Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Care Group, said: “Early identification and access to appropriate support can prevent the potential for a crisis to escalate and promote long-term recovery.

“The new 136 Suite will be able to accommodate a child or young person and adult admission at the same time, should this be required; a situation that is not possible within the current suite due to its layout.”