Urgent mental health support
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or something that makes you feel severely unsafe, distressed, or worried about your mental health, you can now contact your local crisis service in Bolton, Salford, Trafford, Manchester, Wigan and Leigh by calling NHS 111 and selecting the mental health option.
What happens when I call NHS 111?
The phone will be answered by a trained mental health professional who will be able to listen to your concerns and help you get the support you need. A mental health crisis is as severe as a physical health crisis, it’s important to get the help you need.
For people living in our boroughs, the service is still provided by our helpline colleagues and the existing number will remain until further notice. You can still call our 24/7 crisis mental health helpline on: 0800 953 0285 (freephone).
With your permission, helpline colleagues can also access your electronic patient records to better meet your needs and to avoid you repeatedly having to tell us your situation.
They can offer advice over the phone, put you in contact with crisis services or refer you to the following support services:
Support services
Mental Health Urgent Response Team
0800 051 3253
Think Wellbeing
01942 264 051 or 01942 255 675
Counselling
01942 483 483
PAPYRUS UK
Tel: 0800 068 41 41
Text: 07860 039 967
Shout Out
Text: 85258 (24/7)
The Samaritans
116 123 (24/7)
Campaign against Living Miserably (CALM)
0800 58 58 58
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
0808 808 4994
The Old Courts Wigan
01942 48901
Age UK
0800 678 1602
Who can call NHS 111?
You can call for yourself, or someone else. NHS 111 is for all ages, including children and young people and those with neurodevelopmental needs.
If you’re deaf or have hearing loss, please use the following link to be connected to local crisis service – 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.
The service is available to anyone in England and facing a mental health crisis, which could include:
- Severe changes to your mood
- Withdrawing from people (close family, friends, or work colleagues)
- Not taking care of yourself like you usually would
- Having increased thoughts about your life not being worth living
- Excessive worry
- Feeling out of control or unable to cope
- Feeling anxious about leaving the house
- Hearing voices or seeing things that others can’t
- Thinking about harming yourself.
By calling NHS 111, and selecting the mental health option, we can help to get you the urgent support you need for your mental health.
Existing local freephone crisis service numbers will continue to be active to make sure people always get the support they need. You can still call our 24/7 crisis mental health helpline on: 0800 953 0285 (freephone).
Share your experience of using NHS 111
If you've used the NHS 111 'select mental health option' 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 experiencing a mental health crisis.
Crisis care
If you or someone you know experiences a mental health crisis, or needs urgent mental health support, please consider one of the alternative mental health crisis services which are available:
Crisis Cafés
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 in six locations across Greater Manchester – Bolton, Manchester City Centre, Harpurhey, 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 Greater Manchester are as follows:
Bolton Listening Lounge
You can find us at YMCA BOLTON, 125 Deansgate, Bolton, BL1 1HA.
Open: Monday to Sunday, 3pm to 10pm.
Contact: Please call or email ahead of visiting. 01204 917739 or boltonll@family-action.org.uk.
Harpurhey – No.93 Crisis Café
No.93 Harpurhey Wellbeing Centre, 93 Church Lane, Manchester M9 5BG .
Open: Monday to Friday, 8pm to 1am, Saturday and Sunday, 3pm to 1am.
Contact: Please phone ahead of dropping in, call 07778012838 or 0161 271 0339, or email GMMHCrisisCafe@gmmh.nhs.uk.
Manchester City Centre – Recovery Lounge
In partnership with Turning Point.
Open: Monday to Friday, 5pm to 12am, Saturday and Sunday, 3pm to 12am .
Contact: Call 0161 238 5249 from midday onwards until 12am, every day.
Salford Listening Lounge
Open: 24-hours a day, every day, and referrals for Salford residents can be made by health care professionals. More details here.
Trafford – Bluesci at Night Crisis Café
In partnership with Bluesci.
Old Trafford Resource Centre, 54-56 Seymour Grove, Manchester M16 0LN.
Open: Monday to Friday, 7pm to 2am, Saturday and Sunday, 5pm to 2am.
Contact: Text or call 07933 882743, or email crisiscafe@bluesci.org.uk.
Wigan – Mental Health Support Hub
Lea Baker Café at Atherleigh Park, Atherleigh Way, Leigh WN7 1YN.
Open: Monday to Sunday, 4.30pm until 11pm.
Contact: If you are a Wigan service user, please contact your care co-ordinator or call Atherleigh Park reception on 01942 636 300 to check availability.
The Mental Health Joint Response Car
A mental health joint response car service will be providing support across Bolton, Salford, Manchester, Trafford, and Wigan.
The mental health joint response car is jointly run by GMMH and Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The response car service helps to support people experiencing a crisis, who come into contact with GMP, whilst also reducing the number of people presenting to emergency services at busy times, by providing specialist mental health support with a clinician attending incidents alongside the police.
We have a number of self-help resources on our website which you may also find useful.
In emergency situations where there is an immediate risk to life, you should continue to contact 999 or go to A&E.
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