Emergency response vehicle | News and events

Emergency response vehicle to treat those in mental health crisis launched in link up between NHS and ambulance teams

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

The car will be crewed by mental health practitioners and paramedics to provide emergency care to those in mental health crisis.

The move has been made possible thanks to a joint funding arrangement between EEAST and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care Board. 

Operating seven days a week from midday to midnight, the initiative will aim to reduce the number of people taken to accident and emergency departments – often inappropriate for those in mental health crisis - and allow them to receive urgent care in their own homes. 

Carolyne Coenen, Service Manager for CPFT’s First Response Service, said: “To have an emergency vehicle dedicated to helping those in mental health crisis means we can offer rapid support to those who need it.

“Instead of a regular ambulance taking people to an acute hospital, which can often be an inappropriate place for someone in a mental health crisis, our crews can triage people at home and arrange appropriate follow-up care.

“Overall, it will ensure people get the right care at the right time and will be an important addition to the mental health services we provide.”

Liz Ip Piang Siong, EEAST’s Regional Head of Mental Health, said: "We are thrilled to be able to introduce a dedicated mental health joint response vehicle in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for the winter period, in partnership with CPFT. The vehicle will have an EEAST paramedic and specialist mental health nurse on board to respond to people experiencing a mental health crisis.

"Sadly during the winter months, we do typically see an increase in mental health-related 999 calls, so having this team on the road will allow us to provide the specialist support people need and avoid unnecessary journeys to hospital."

Louis Kamfer, Executive Director of Strategy, planning and Evaluation, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB, said: “This initiative is a great example of how working together across health and care partners can make a real difference for our local communities. 

“By combining expertise from mental health services and ambulance teams, we can provide timely, compassionate care for people in crisis and help them receive the right support in the most appropriate setting.”

The response vehicle (with colleagues involved pictured above) will initially be on the road for three months and if it proves successful, it is hoped the service will become permanent.

CPFT’s first Response Service provides immediate mental health support to those in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who call the NHS 111 helpline and select the mental health option.

There is also a team of mental health practitioners who work alongside police call handlers at the force’s headquarters at Hinchingbrooke offering advice to frontline officers when dealing with people in mental health issues. 

CPFT provides community physical health services for older people and adults with long-term conditions, mental health services, children’s community services in Peterborough, and learning disability services. The Trust is also renowned for its research and development work and, in June 2025, was awarded Teaching Partner status by the University of Cambridge.