Bedford crisis house, Kelvin Grove, Rothsay Road. Image: East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT)
A new NHS mental health crisis house is set to open in Bedford, offering adults in crisis a safe alternative to A&E or hospital admission.
East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) is transforming Kelvin Grove on Rothsay Road into an 11-bed mental health crisis house, funded by £1.5 million from NHS England and approved by Bedford Borough Council.
The service is expected to open in spring 2026 and will support adults from across Bedfordshire and Luton.
Alternative to A&E and hospital
The new crisis house will provide short-term therapeutic care for adults aged 18 and over who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
According to ELFT, the service will:
Provide 11 ensuite bedrooms
Offer short-term, person-centred, trauma-informed care
Operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Be staffed by experienced care professionals
Aim to reduce pressure on A&E departments and inpatient mental health wards
The crisis house is designed as a calm, homely environment where people can receive intensive support, stabilise and plan next steps without being admitted to a traditional hospital ward.
It is being developed in partnership with people who have lived experience of mental health crisis, to help ensure the service reflects real needs and priorities in the community.
Joint NHS and charity service
Kelvin Grove has a long history of supporting mental health services in Bedford, but has been unused since 2023.
Renovation work began in December 2025 to restore both the building and its gardens so they are suitable for round-the-clock therapeutic use.
“Kelvin Grove will be a major new asset for local NHS mental health services,” said Richard Fradgley, ELFT executive director of integrated care and deputy chief executive.
“It will provide a safe, therapeutic alternative to hospital admission, ease system pressures, improve outcomes for local people, and breathe new life into a prominent property in the town.”
The crisis house will be delivered jointly by ELFT and SIG Penrose, a health and social care charity.
Once open, the service is expected to work closely with existing NHS crisis pathways, community mental health teams and voluntary sector partners across Bedfordshire and Luton, so that people in crisis can be referred quickly and supported in the most appropriate setting.
