New mental health response centre coming to Chester next year

On World Mental Health Day (10th October), Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) has released a preview of the new urgent care response centre which is set to open in Chester next year.

Based on the Countess of Chester Health Park, the new £3.5 unit will work alongside the Countess of Chester Hospital, North West Ambulance Service and Cheshire Police, reducing the need for people experiencing a mental health crisis to attend A&E.

Suzanne Edwards, CWP deputy CEO and director of operations, said: 

“Our new centre has a dual purpose in providing a specially designed, safe and calm assessment space for people when they are often at their most vulnerable, and reducing demand on our local emergency department. We know from listening to our patients and carers that if you are experiencing a mental health crisis, a loud and busy A&E department can’t always provide the best patient experience – we hope to change this.”

The £3.5m build is an extension to the current Upton Lea community mental health resource centre and will also become the new permanent home for the West Cheshire GP out-of-hours service and provide a new base for the out-of-hours district nursing service and 24/7 mental health crisis line.

As the opening date draws nearer, CWP are looking for people with recent experience of urgent care services to share their views and come up with a new name for the centre.

In line with the ambitions of the national 10 Year Health Plan, the Trust are keen for the new build to become a community health centre that belongs to everyone with a new name to reflect this.

People can learn more and submit their suggestions by visiting: 

www.cwp.nhs.uk

Graham Wood, CWP Capital Project Manager, said: 

“We’re working with people with lived experience of mental health distress to help us make the environment as comfortable and calming as possible.

“Our ethos for care is always home or community first. If, however, a face-to-face assessment is required, and this cannot be completed within a person’s home, crisis café or other community setting, the new unit will provide an invaluable therapeutic space.”

The Integrated Urgent Response Centre will open in Spring 2026 with the new name revealed in the new year.

• Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS (CWP) is a Foundation Trust that provides health and care services for local people in partnership with other organisations 

• Services include mental health and learning disabilities, community physical health and all-age disability care and are located across Cheshire and Wirral as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool, and Sefton.  

• CWP is rated as being 'Outstanding' for caring by the Care Quality Commission