Police in Northern Ireland to Reroute Mental Health Calls to Other Services

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is implementing a significant policy shift in how it handles mental health calls, directing non-life-threatening incidents to health and social care services instead of police officers. Starting in November, the PSNI will no longer conduct concern-for-welfare checks unless there is an immediate risk to life or harm, or if a crime is involved.

Under the new 'Right Care Right Person' policy, emergency calls to 999 will be triaged. If a situation involves a threat to life, risk of harm, or a crime, police will still attend. However, calls primarily requiring a welfare check may be rerouted to other emergency services or health and social care staff.

This policy, already in place in parts of England and Wales, aims to ensure that individuals receive care from the most suitable professionals. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson stated that the PSNI receives approximately 30,000 mental health calls annually, with a substantial portion originating from health workers. He noted that only about 3% of these calls were related to crime, highlighting the need for a more targeted response.

Supporters of the policy, like Charles Little, whose in-laws were victims of a fatal attack by a man with paranoid schizophrenia, believe it could have prevented the tragedy. Little argued that police presence might escalate a mental health crisis and that specialized services are better equipped to handle such situations. "You don't always want the police to go first, even though at the moment the police are effectively the mental health front line," he said.

Despite the intention to provide more appropriate care, some health professionals have expressed concerns. Dr. Ross Irvine of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland warned that mental health services are already