Know who to turn to over the holidays
The holidays and festive season can be a difficult time for some people and if you are living with mental health problems, some experiences during the holiday period could make your mental health worse or harder to manage.
We are here to help you, or the person you care for, to stay well and get support if needed. You can get help from:
The mental health team providing your care
If you already a patient at our Trust, talk to the mental health team that looks after you as soon as possible if you have any questions, worries or concerns about your care plan and managing your mental health over the holidays.
Recovery Cafés (also known as Crisis Cafés)
If you are struggling with how you are feeling or feel at risk of going into crisis, your local Recovery Café can help. Recovery Cafés are a free walk-in out of hours service where you can talk to people who will understand and help you. You don’t need a referral or an appointment to visit. You can ring ahead if you need any support getting there or would like to speak with a member of staff first.
Find details of the South West London Recovery Cafés on our urgent help page.
Our Medicines Helpline
It’s important to plan ahead and ensure you have enough medication and are taking it as prescribed over the holidays. Trust patients with any questions or concerns about the medicines they are taking can call our Medicines Helpline on 020 3513 6829. The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm (excluding bank holidays). Outside of these hours, leave a message and the team will call you back. You can also email medinfo@swlstg.nhs.uk
NHS 111 press 2
If you need urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and press 2 for the mental health option. You can also access urgent support by calling South West London and St George's Mental Health Crisis Line on 0800 028 8000.
Urgent referrals via both NHS 111 press 2 for mental and the Crisis Line can be made by anyone, including GPs, partner agencies, and private providers. And both NHS 111 press 2 for mental health and our Crisis Line are available 24/7 and open to people who haven't previously accessed mental health services. You can call for yourself or someone else.
Both services have a team of mental health specialists who can:
- Provide professional support and advice by phone
- Direct you to the right service for your needs
- Help you to get seen by a professional if you need an urgent assessment and arrange further support if needed.
If you are Deaf, you can call our crisis line using Convo Now (previously Sign Live). Download the app for iOS or Android. For NHS 111 there is VRS available https://signvideo.co.uk/nhs111/
CAMHS Crisis Line (for children and young people)
Young people and their parents and carers can contact the South London Partnership CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Crisis Line on 0203 228 5980.
The line is open every day from 9am to 11pm, 365 days a year. Outside of these hours, you will hear an automated message and be prompted to select our 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line. Alternatively, call NHS 111 and press 2 for the mental health option.
If there is a risk to life
Call 999 or go to A&E if someone’s life is at risk - for example if they are experiencing a medical emergency, have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose, or you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe. If you are Deaf, you can call 999 using 999 BSL https://999bsl.co.uk/
If you go to A&E with a mental health emergency the emergency department team may refer you to the liaison psychiatry team if further mental health input is needed. These are teams of mental health professionals co-located in local A&E Departments as follows:
- St George’s Hospital, St. James Wing, Blackshaw Rd, London SW17 0QT
- St Helier Hospital, Wrythe Lane, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 1AA
- Kingston Hospital, Galsworthy Rd, Kingston upon Thames KT2 7QB
Alternative help and support
Find alternative help and support via our urgent help page, advice and support page or know who to turn to in your community page. Know who to turn to in the community is our directory of local and trusted organisations, charities, and community groups that can help you in Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth.
