When the emergency services are called to attend a mental health incident, it’s often police officers that show up.
Angela tells Hannah Moore about her daughter Louise’s* experience during a mental health crisis. She spent 12 hours with two police officers in an A&E department before seeing a psychiatric doctor.
In 2020, Humberside police brought in the Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) strategy, where police do not attend calls unless there are risks to life or a crime is being committed.
The Guardian’s North of England editor Helen Pidd tells Hannah how the new strategy was implemented by the chief constable of Humberside police, Lee Freeman, and what impact it’s had on the way police spend their time.
Christina Cheney, chair of the National AMHP Leads Network, explains why mental health services are so stretched and what’s needed for RCRP to work. She explains her concern that the Metropolitan police plan to implement these changes by September.
*Name has been changed.
Photograph: John Birdsall/Alamy
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