UK Met police to stop responding to most mental health emergencies?

LONDON: The UK Metropolitan Police has disclosed plans to curtail its involvement in responding to mental health calls, aiming to allocate more resources towards combating crime.

According to international media, effective from October 31, the Met police will adopt a “clear threshold” approach, leading officers to respond to incidents related to crime investigation or when there is an explicit risk to life or severe harm.

The reports said that the decision was conveyed to staff through an internal memo following discussions between the police force and healthcare authorities. The memo, signed by Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, the regional medical director of National Health Service (NHS) England Chris Streather, and other healthcare leaders in London, underscored the data-driven rationale behind the move.

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The memo stated, “We know that 78 per cent of people detained under section 136 will go on to be discharged home following assessment, suggesting mental health is being over-policed in London.”

Meanwhile, the operational shift involved equipping police call handlers with a new prompt for welfare checks or when a patient was absent from health partner inpatient care.

The prompt will also help handlers determine if a police response is needed. However, the clear threshold for police response is set to begin on October 31, marking a significant milestone in the program’s implementation.

A spokesperson for the Met explained that the “Right Care Right Person” operational model is intended to ensure that every call elicits a response from the most suitable agency, which might not always be the police. The spokesperson emphasised the strain on police resources due to their involvement in health incidents.

The NHS England in London said that a comprehensive implementation plan for the “Right Care, Right Person” approach was being developed collaboratively. Their commitment across all partner agencies was to provide thorough mental health services to London communities with a focus on delivering optimal outcomes.

Yet, concerns have arisen regarding the change in the strategy. The mental health charity association  Mind has warned that this change might pull lives at risk.

However, former Met superintendent Leroy Logan proposed a collaborative approach, urging the police to actively participate in solutions rather than stepping back. Similarly, the president-elect of the British Psychological Society Dr Roman Raczka highlighted the risks of withdrawing police support in the current landscape of stretched and under-resourced mental health services.