New Mental Health Emergency Unit Within West Mid Announced
Lakeside investment is part of major national expansion of provision
Ruth Cadbury MP with staff on an earlier visit to the existing Lakeside unit
August 14, 2026
West Middlesex Hospital is set to host one of England’s new mental health emergency units, after the Government confirmed that the Lakeside Unit, in its grounds, has been selected as part of a major national expansion of community mental health services. The announcement has been welcomed by Brentford and Isleworth MP Ruth Cadbury, who said the new centre would make a “big difference” to people struggling with their mental health locally.
The Lakeside Unit is one of 159 new emergency mental health departments being rolled out across England as part of what ministers describe as the biggest redesign of adult mental health services in a generation. Backed by £343 million in funding, the programme will create 100 new walk‑in community mental health centres and 59 specialist emergency departments, designed to support people earlier, reduce pressure on A&E, and ensure those in crisis receive care in an environment built for their needs.
Demand for mental health support has risen sharply in recent years, with around one in five people experiencing a common mental health condition each year. Locally, Ms Cadbury says she has seen the consequences of long waits and limited early intervention, particularly for young people and families.
“I am really pleased that we have a new mental health emergency care centre here in Isleworth,” she said. “I have long campaigned for better mental health support locally and this unit at Lakeside will make a big difference. People struggling with their mental health will get help earlier and closer to home.”
The MP added that too many residents only receive support once they reach crisis point. “As a constituency MP I have increasingly seen the impact that a lack of early and adequate mental health support can have. Whether it’s improving early diagnosis, increasing access to talking therapies and treatment or expanding emergency support, I know how important it is that we improve mental health support across our local area.”
The new Lakeside centre will bring specialist teams together under one roof, working alongside GPs, councils, voluntary organisations and families. Crucially, it will have direct links to housing and employment support—recognising that mental health crises often intersect with wider pressures in people’s lives.
Ms Cadbury also paid tribute to NHS staff at Lakeside and West Mid. “Having visited both Lakeside and West Mid several times I also know how hard NHS staff work to look after people and how much pressure existing NHS services are under. That’s why this new unit and the work being done to improve mental health support in schools and improve the recruitment and retention of staff will make a much‑needed difference.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the new centres would be “a lifeline for so many,” adding: “Nobody should be left to struggle with their mental health alone. Every day, thousands of people are waiting months for help, then finding the only door open to them is a busy A&E.”
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said the reforms were designed to “turn the tide on mental ill health” by preventing more people from reaching crisis point and ensuring urgent care is delivered by specialist teams in the right setting.
The first wave of new facilities is expected to open from autumn 2026, with further sites following from March 2027. Of the 159 centres announced, 57 will be new builds and 102 conversions of existing sites.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |