With the funding for the pilot due to run out in April 2026, the Health and Social Care Committee report called for its extension for a further 12 months in order to build an evidence base for its further roll-out in other towns and cities.
Health and Social Care Committee chair Layla Moran said: ‘What we heard in our evidence from the 24/7 centres was nothing short of miraculous. DHSC needs to let this pilot run so that the six centres can provide the data the system needs to succeed. But they have been left in limbo with funding unconfirmed beyond April. Ministers need to show leadership and make sure this is followed through.'
The centres, which were inspired by services in Italy, offer a one-stop-shop with individualised care and advice services for housing, employment and other issues.
The report also called on the DHSC to guarantee spending on mental health services to continue to rise as a proportion of the NHS's overall budget and for other funding streams to be ringfenced or provided in longer-term cycles.
It comes after Claire Murdoch resigned as national director of mental health in September due to concerns mental health was not being given sufficient investment.
At the end of 2024 there were 664,412 adults with severe mental illnesses, such as bipolar or schizophrenia, accessing community mental health services in England.
People with severe mental illnesses are more likely to die prematurely from related physical conditions. Between 2021 and 2023, over 130,000 premature deaths were recorded among this demographic in England.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Far from missing the opportunity, this Government is backing mental health services with £688m this year alone.
‘That will go towards 8,500 more mental health workers, delivering more talking therapies and rolling out more mental health support in schools and colleges.
‘We're also building and upgrading mental health facilities, including more 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, mental health emergency departments and crisis accommodation for people with learning disabilities and autism.'
