NHS 111 helpline will now offer mental health support to adults and children in crisis

The NHS 111 helpline will now offer mental health support to adults and children in crisis.

NHS trusts have welcomed the move but said they "remain deeply concerned" about levels of unmet need for those seeking mental health support.

Ministers said the change forms part of "plans to help fix the broken health system".

From Tuesday, people in England who are in crisis, or who are concerned about a loved one, can call 111 and select the mental health option to speak to a trained professional.

Local health systems previously had their own separate phone lines, which took about 200,000 calls per month.

Staff handling the 111 calls will be able to organise face-to-face community support for patients or guide them to other services.

Claire Murdoch, NHS England's director for mental health, said: "We know that record numbers of people are suffering with their mental health, and we want to ensure that when people are in crisis, they have easy, straightforward access to the support they need.