Urgent mental health support
NHS 111 Mental Health
If you need urgent mental health support, for example if you feel mentally unsafe or severely distressed, you can quickly and easily access support by calling NHS 111 and selecting mental health option 2.
It’s available 24/7, free of charge and you can call for yourself or someone else.
Please note: Following the roll out of NHS 111 Mental Health, our 0800 helpline will close on 3 November 2025.
We always planned to close the 0800 number once our NHS 111 Mental Health offer was established; and you’ll now only have to remember one simple number that you can call anytime, from anywhere.
NHS 111 Mental Health is not an emergency service. In emergency situations where there’s an immediate risk to life, or you need urgent physical care, you should contact 999 or go to A&E.
What happens when I call NHS 111?
NHS 111 is a national service, however, when you call NHS 111 and select mental health option 2, you’ll be connected to your local team. A trained mental health practitioner will listen and help you get the urgent support you need.
With your permission, the mental health practitioner can access your patient notes, if you’ve received mental health support before. This will reduce you having to repeat information, and allow them to better support you.
They can offer advice over the phone, put you in contact with crisis services or refer you to local support services.
You can also access NHS 111 Mental Health online at: https://111.nhs.uk/triage/check-your-mental-health-symptoms.
Who can call NHS 111 Mental Health?
NHS 111 Mental Health is for people of all ages who need urgent mental health support. For example, feeling mentally unsafe or severely distressed.
This includes children and young people and those with neurodevelopmental needs.
You can call for yourself, or someone else.
If you’re deaf or have hearing loss, please use the following link to be connected – NHS 111 – SignVideo.
If you aren't able to make the call yourself, then anyone can call on your behalf - for example a friend, carer, loved one or even your GP.
You can also access NHS 111 online via 111.nhs.uk.
For non-urgent mental health needs, there is a range of mental health and wellbeing support available across Greater Manchester. You can speak with your GP to find out more about the services available to you, or visit https://gmintegratedcare.org.uk/gtkwtg-mental-health-support/.
NHS 111 Mental Health is not an emergency service. In emergency situations where there’s an immediate risk to life, or you need urgent physical care, you should contact 999 or go to A&E.
Share your experience of using NHS 111 Mental Health
If you've called NHS 111 Mental Health, you can share your experience by completing this survey.
The feedback will help NHS England identify where improvements can be made to better meet the needs of people with urgent mental health needs.
Crisis Cafés / Listening Lounges
Community spaces across Greater Manchester known as ‘Crisis Cafés’ or ‘Listening Lounges’ offer a safe, comfortable, and confidential environment for anyone over the age of 18, who is feeling low, anxious, struggling with negative thoughts, or just wants to talk to someone during evenings or weekends.
The spaces offer support and advice from trained mental health workers in a relaxed environment, providing visitors with safe out of hours mental health support, whilst also taking pressure off emergency services, including busy A&E Departments, especially during the winter months.
The hubs are delivered by voluntary community and social enterprise partners supported by GMMH, and are based GMMH's core locations across Greater Manchester – Bolton, Manchester, Salford, Trafford, and Wigan.
An individual who previously accessed support at one of the Crisis Cafés said the team were “calming and reassuring” and finding the service was “just what I needed at just the right time.”
Locations, opening times, and contact details for the Crisis Cafés and Listening Lounges in Bolton, Manchester, Salford, Trafford and Wigan:
Bolton Listening Lounge
Bolton Listening Lounge is run by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) and 1point North West
Address: Silverwell House, 1 Silverwell Lane, Bolton BL1 1QN
Contact number: 01204 917739
Email: listeningloungehelp@1pointbolton.org.uk
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 3pm to 1am
How to access: Ahead of your visit, please call or email.
Harpurhey – No.93 Crisis Café
Address: No.93 Harpurhey Wellbeing Centre, 93 Church Lane, Manchester, M9 5BG
Contact number: 0161 271 0339 / 07778 012838
Email: GMMHCrisisCafe@gmmh.nhs.uk
Opening hours:
- Monday to Friday 8pm to 1am
- Saturday and Sunday 3pm to 1am
How to access: Ahead of your visit, please call or email.
Trafford – Bluesci at Night Crisis Café
In partnership with Bluesci.
· Address: Old Trafford Wellbeing Centre, 54-56 Seymour Grove, Old Trafford, M16 0LN
· Contact number: 07933 882743
· Email: crisiscafe@bluesci.org.uk
Opening times:
- Everyday (365 days a year)
- 5.30pm to 12:30am
How to access:
- Self-referral: walk in or telephone
- Professional referral: please call or email
Salford Listening Lounge
· Address: 40 Eccles Old Road, Salford, M6 8RA
Opening times:
· Drop-in Mon to Fri 1pm to 3pm
How to access:
- To access the drop-in, walk in
- To access bookable appointments, health care professional to signpost
Wigan – Mental Health Support Hub
· Address: Lea Baker Café at Atherleigh Park, Atherleigh Way, Leigh WN7 1YN
Contact number: 01942 636 300.
Opening times:
- Everyday (365 days a year)
- 4.30pm until 11pm
How to access:
· If you are a currently receiving mental health support under GMMH’s Wigan Borough services please, contact your care co-ordinator or call Atherleigh Park reception on 01942 636 300 to check availability.
Other Support Available
Visit our Crisis Care page to find out more about the emergency, crisis mental health services which GMMH provides.
You can also click here for suicide prevention advice.
Other helplines
These free helplines are there to help when you're feeling down or desperate. Unless it says otherwise, they're open 24 hours a day, every day.
You can also call these helplines for advice if you're worried about someone else.
- Samaritans (for everyone) - Call 116 123
- Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) - Call 0800 58 58 58 – 5pm to midnight every day
- Papyrus (prevention of young suicide HOPELINE247) - Call 0800 068 41 41
- Childline (for children and young people under 19) - Call 0800 1111 – the number will not show up on your phone bill
- SOS Silence of Suicide (for everyone) - Call 0300 1020 505 – 4pm to midnight every day.
- Mind - 0300 123 3393
- Mood Swings - 0161 832 3736
- Pensioner’s Link (Over 50’s) - 01942 261 753
- Rethink - 0300 5000 927
- SANEline - 0300 304 7000
- Silverline - 0800 470 8090
- Support Line - 01708 765 200
- The Mix (for people under 25) - 0808 808 4994
- The Old Courts Wigan - 01942 48901
- Age UK - 0800 678 1602
Message a text line
- Shout Crisis Text Line (for everyone) - Text "SHOUT" to 85258
- YoungMinds Crisis Messenger (for people under 19) - Text "YM" to 8525
- PAPYRUS UK (prevention of young suicide) - Text 07860 039 967
Other mental health and wellbeing support
If you’re an existing patient who needs support, you’re best to speak to your key worker / care co-ordinator in the first instance.
If you or someone you know needs mental health and wellbeing support, there’s lots of advice available at https://gmintegratedcare.org.uk/gtkwtg-mental-health-support/.
Children and Young People
NHS 111 Mental Health is for people of all ages. This includes children and young people.
If you need urgent mental health support, for example if you feel mentally unsafe or severely distressed, you can quickly and easily access support by calling NHS 111 and selecting mental health option 2. It’s available 24/7, free of charge and you can call for yourself or someone else.
Other helplines for children and young people
Papyrus: Prevention of Young Suicide
Support available to young people (under the age of 35) who are at risk of suicide. They operate 'Hopeline UK' to give people a safe space to talk through anything happening which could be impacting on a persons’ ability to stay safe.
- Phone: 0800 068 4141
- Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
- Website: www.papyrus-uk.org
Childline (for children and young people under 19)
Call 0800 1111 – the number will not show up on your phone bill.
The Mix (for people under 25)
Call 0808 808 4994
Text lines for children and young people
- YoungMinds Crisis Messenger (for people under 19) - Text "YM" to 8525
- PAPYRUS UK (prevention of young suicide) - Text 07860 039 967
As a service user, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support.
Find resources for carers and service users Contact the Trust