Mental Health Support in Wales: Who to Call and When
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If you need urgent mental health support in Wales, call NHS 111 and press 2. The service is available to people of all ages, across Wales, 24 hours a day. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles, even without phone credit.
If someone is in immediate danger or needs emergency medical help, call 999 or go to A&E. For confidential listening, emotional support and information, C.A.L.L. is available around the clock on 0800 132 737. You can also text HELP to 81066.
This is a practical guide to current support routes, not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional. Contact details can change, so use the linked official pages to check them when you need help.
Mental health support in Wales: choose the right route
It is not always obvious which number to use, especially when somebody is distressed. The quickest way to decide is to ask whether there is immediate danger, an urgent need to speak with a mental health professional, or a need for someone to listen and help identify the next step.
Call 999 when there is a serious and immediate risk to life, or urgent emergency assistance is needed. A&E is also an emergency route. If the situation is urgent but does not require a 999 response, NHS 111 option 2 connects callers directly with mental health support in their area.
How NHS 111 option 2 works in Wales
NHS 111 Wales says its mental health option is open to all ages, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout Wales. You can call because you need urgent help yourself or because you are worried about a family member or someone else. Select option 2 to speak directly with a mental health worker in your area.
The call is free from a landline or mobile, including when a mobile has no credit. That makes 111 option 2 the clearest route when support feels urgent and waiting for a routine appointment does not feel appropriate.
Welsh Government reported in March 2026 that the service had received more than 240,000 contacts since its Wales-wide launch in 2022. That figure counts contacts, not necessarily 240,000 different people, but it shows how widely the route is now used.
C.A.L.L.: confidential listening and information
C.A.L.L., the Community Advice and Listening Line, is the mental health helpline for Wales. It offers confidential listening, emotional support and information to people concerned about their own mental health or that of a relative or friend.
- Phone: 0800 132 737
- Text: HELP to 81066
- Hours: 24 hours a day, every day of the year
- Welsh: available on request
C.A.L.L. is useful when you want someone to listen, need information about mental health, or are trying to find appropriate local support. It is not the emergency service. Use 999 for immediate danger and NHS 111 option 2 for urgent mental health support.
Where to start with non-urgent or ongoing support
For concerns that are not urgent, a GP can discuss symptoms, daily life and possible next steps. It can help to write down what has changed, how long it has been happening and how sleep, work, study or relationships are being affected. You do not need to decide on a diagnosis before asking for help.
NHS Wales also lists free self-help and online resources. Its current mental health page includes SilverCloud, an online programme based on cognitive behavioural therapy for people aged 16 and over, alongside other guided and self-directed options. These resources may be useful, but they do not replace urgent support when a situation is worsening quickly.
What to do when you are worried about someone else
You do not have to solve another person's distress before seeking guidance. If there is immediate danger, call 999. If the concern is urgent, call NHS 111 and press 2. C.A.L.L. also accepts calls from people worried about a friend or relative.
If it feels safe to do so, ask the person how they are and listen without rushing to correct or dismiss what they say. Offer a specific action, such as sitting with them while they call 111, helping them contact their GP or checking in again at an agreed time. Do not promise to keep an immediate risk secret.
You can raise a concern with somebody's GP even without their consent, although confidentiality normally means the GP cannot discuss that person's medical details with you. NHS 111 Wales explains this distinction on its mental health information page.
What is changing in mental healthcare in Wales?
World Mental Health Day is held on 10 October each year. In Wales, the date now sits alongside a ten-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2025 to 2035. The strategy aims to improve wellbeing and outcomes for people accessing mental health support.
In March 2026, Welsh Government also published new quality statements for mental health and self-harm services. They describe a goal of more consistent, compassionate and open-access care, supported by 20 pilot projects. These are service-development commitments rather than a guarantee that every local pathway already works in exactly the same way.
Save the official links, not only the numbers
A short list is easier to remember: 999 for immediate danger, NHS 111 option 2 for urgent mental health support, and C.A.L.L. for confidential listening and information. Save the official pages as well as the phone numbers so you can confirm the current service before relying on it.
Sources, further reading and image credits
- NHS 111 Wales: Mental Health and Wellbeing
- C.A.L.L. Mental Health Helpline for Wales
- Welsh Government: Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025 to 2035
- Welsh Government: new mental healthcare standards, March 2026
- World Health Organization: World Mental Health Day
- Walking group image: Simon Mortimer via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
