The work of the police and NHS to reduce the number of people with Mental Health problems being taken into custody has been welcomed by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Simon Hayes.
The ‘Mental health and policing: Improving crisis care’ report, published at the end of last month, found that across the country too many people in mental health crisis have been detained in police custody, when they need urgent mental healthcare instead.
Island pilot scheme a success
The picture is brighter on the Isle of Wight though, where a pilot scheme has been in place since 2012.
Simon Hayes, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire said:
“I am delighted that early indications show a significant fall in the number of people suffering mental health issues being taken into police custody.
“In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, considerable effort has been made to ensure that partners from NHS Trusts work closely with Hampshire Constabulary to find more suitable alternatives than custody to vulnerable people with mental health problems at their time of need. Operation Serenity on the Isle of Wight is a good example of this.
“The Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat has been instrumental in improving outcomes for all concerned, and removing some of the strain on policing at both a local and national level.”
Key findings
Other key points from the report include:
- Close partnership working can prevent a crisis escalating and significantly improve an individual’s wellbeing and recovery.
- The police and mental health providers need to clearly understand each other’s legal powers, roles and responsibilities.
- Triage models should be locally determined according to context and need.
- More work is needed to support multi-agency information sharing.
- NHS commissioners need to work with providers to ensure that there are enough health-based places of safety.
- NHS commissioners should ensure that sufficient services are in place for 24/7 provision to meet local need.
For full details see the report below. Click on the full-screen icon to see a larger version.
