NHS 111 will now offer mental health support to people of all ages in crisis, including children.
Health leaders welcomed the announcement, but said NHS trusts “remain deeply concerned” about levels of unmet need for those seeking mental healthcare.
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.
“While the NHS made significant progress during the pandemic with local services creating their own crisis phone lines, we want to go a step further by giving people everywhere in England one single point of access via NHS 111.
“And in doing so, I am extremely proud that we will become one of the first countries in the world to offer a free universal package of support to people through one easy to access phone line.
“The new integrated service can give people of all ages specialist mental health support and ensure they can be offered face-to-face support in a safe and therapeutic environment.”
Stephen Kinnock, minister of state for care, added: “As part of our plans to help fix the broken health system we want to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health.
“For the first time, there is one number you can call whether you are feeling physically unwell or worried about your mental health to access the support you might need.”
Mark Winstanley, chief executive of Rethink Mental Illness, welcomed the move. He said: “A mental health crisis is traumatic and disorientating, and getting help as quickly as possible is vital. The last thing people need when they or a loved one is in crisis, is uncertainty about where to turn.
“Today, the NHS have made it easier to access urgent support via 111, building on provision already in place through crisis lines. We welcome this important step, and hope it will make it simpler for people to access the help they need.”
However, Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, raised concerns about the pressures on services.
“With record numbers of people experiencing mental ill health, any measures which help people access the care they need quickly and easily are to be welcomed,” she said.
“This announcement builds on much needed investment in mental health crisis and liaison services in recent years, and efforts by trusts to create alternatives to emergency departments for people experiencing a crisis.
“However, trusts remain deeply concerned about levels of unmet need for those seeking mental health care with the latest national data showing over 350,000 children and young people and almost 250,000 adults are waiting for treatment from community mental health services.
“They also know that demand and persistent pressure on NHS 111 services, many of which are run by already stretched ambulance services, is much higher than before the pandemic.
“It is vital that trusts and their local partners such as schools, local authorities, and the voluntary sector are given the funding they need to deliver on ambitions around crisis care pathways for people of all ages as well as helping individuals before they reach crisis point.
“We also need to address other underlying issues, such as the wider determinants of mental ill health, which are driving pressures on services, and the rising severity and complexity of people’s needs when they contact the NHS.”