GGZ Rivierduinen experienced increasing pressure on the regional general practitioners' surgeries (HAPs) and its crisis service during evenings, nights and weekends (ANW hours). Clients who are struggling mentally are often called HAPs, but the expertise for mental health care lies with the mental health services themselves. This resulted in a high burden on the crisis service, whereas for many people ,a short conversation to vent their hearts would be enough to help them move on.

The primary task was to relieve the pressure on the GP services and prevent clients from unnecessarily unnecessarily ending up at the crisis service. Many of the calls to both agencies had no medical urgency, but revolved around the need for a listening ear or advice. The expertise of mental health professionals was crucial here, which is why the idea of a special helpline was born: the Patient Phone. Boer & Croon supported the development of the plan and implementation of the Patient Phone.

To map the situation, we first conducted a baseline measurement. We analysed the number of calls with mental health-related problems received by the HAPs and the number of calls made by the crisis service. The results confirmed the need for a low-threshold, specialised phone line.

We then set up the Patient Phone in collaboration with the GP surgeries. All this was done with tight project management. GP surgeries were allowed to refer GGZ Rivierduinen clients to this line, and practitioners actively informed their clients in conversations about the existence of the Patient Phone. For example, when contacting their practitioner, clients were advised to use this phone line during ANW hours if they were having a difficult time.

On the Patient's Phone are experienced mental health nurses who are located in the same room as the crisis service. This ensures that lines of communication remain short and action can be taken quickly and efficiently if needed. The project was set up with great care and attention, with the involvement of practitioners and cooperation with regional GP surgeries being crucial to gaining clients' trust and encouraging them to use this new helpline. Tight project management with an engaged steering committee was a significant factor in this success. The results are promising:

• There was a more than 25% % reduction in crisis contacts, which shows that many situations can already be resolved with a preventive call.
• There was higher patient satisfaction, with a score above 95%. Clients appreciated the low-threshold access to mental health support during challenging moments.
• There was a significant decrease in GGZ-related calls to GP surgeries, which relieved pressure on these surgeries and significantly increased satisfaction among HAPs.