The NHS in London will launch a new 24/7 advice service for
police officers to seek rapid support from mental health
specialists when they attend incidents, as part of an ongoing
partnership.
The NHS and the Met Police are working together to enable more
Londoners who need urgent mental health help to receive it from a
healthcare professional in the best possible setting.
The advice line pilot will see police officers access NHS advice
before they decide to detain an individual under section 136,
with NHS analysis showing that for 8 in 10 people who are
sectioned in London they would benefit from community support
rather than a hospital admission.
As part of a phased approach, police officers will continue to
attend callouts if there is if a person is subject to or at risk
of serious harm. For example, if a person at risk of serious harm
leaves A&E without being seen or walks out of a healthcare
setting.
The new approach, Right Care, Right Person, is based on a model
implemented over three years in Humberside. The local health
system and police worked together to develop a protocol for when
a member of the public contacts the police for a mental health
matter, with call handlers given additional training and
resources to ensure the most suitable person either from the
police or the NHS attends an incident.
Health chiefs and the Met have said that there will be a phased
transition to the new way of working and the priority is to
continue ensuring people in the capital get the support they need
when they need it most.
The NHS in London has been preparing extensively for this with
extra guidance given to local hospitals about what incidents
police will no longer attend as well as clear escalation policies
if they believe police involvement is needed.
Alongside the Metropolitan Police and local authorities, NHS
London will continue to support local health areas with the extra
demand that this change will create and explore what additional
resources are needed over the coming months as this new approach
develops.
Mental health services are already facing record demand with
referrals nationally up by two fifths compared to before the
pandemic.
Martin Machray, Executive Director of Performance, NHS
London: “To ensure people in the capital experiencing a
mental health crisis get the support they need, the NHS is
working with the Metropolitan Police to introduce a new approach
over the coming months.
“While police will start attending less mental health call outs,
they will still attend if a welfare check is needed or if an
at-risk person has absconded from hospital and with the NHS in
London seeing mental health referrals increase by two fifths
since before the pandemic, it is vital that his approach is
rolled out gradually.
“To ensure people receive the best support a new 24/7 advice line
is launching today so officers attending an incident where
someone is in mental health crisis can receive NHS advice on
whether a person needs to be sectioned – this means that the
public can have their safety secured by the police at the same
time as accessing therapeutic support from the NHS.
“If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental
health you should still come forward for support in the normal
way – if it is an emergency call 999 or if it is non-life
threatening there are 24/7 advice lines available for people
suffering a mental health crisis which you can view online at
www.nhs.uk.”
As part of the phased approach to implementation, the
Metropolitan Police have confirmed that they will take a slower
approach to rolling out the full model, for example they will
remain with patients until they can be safely taken into the care
of a health professional.
To support the smooth introduction of the changes today, police
and health teams will work together closely, with mechanisms in
place for concerns to be escalated in real time and regular calls
for partners to share learning or concerns.
