Ealing residents experiencing an urgent mental health crisis now have access to a specialist round-the-clock service designed to provide a calmer alternative to waiting in a busy hospital emergency department.

The Lakeside Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS) is based at West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth and is run by West London NHS Trust. It supports residents of Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham who arrive at A&E requiring urgent mental health support.

Rather than remaining in the emergency department, appropriate patients can receive specialist assessment and short-stay care in an environment specifically designed around mental health needs. The service is staffed by specialist mental health professionals and operates 24 hours a day.

More than £4 million has been invested in the new service, which is expected to support thousands of people each year. Patients will typically stay for between 12 and 24 hours, allowing professionals to assess their needs, provide immediate support and determine the most appropriate next stage of care.

The unit initially had capacity for four to six patients, with plans to increase this to eight to 12 and provide further capacity by autumn 2026. The wider aim is to intervene earlier when people experience a crisis while reducing pressure and waiting times in A&E.

For Ealing residents and their families, the development represents an important change in how urgent mental health needs can be handled — providing specialist care in surroundings intended to be more therapeutic than a conventional emergency department.

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