The Police Service of Northern Ireland will implement the "Right Care Right Person" model in November, ending routine concern-for-welfare visits unless there is a risk of harm or crime. Emergency 999 handlers will triage callers and transfer non-police incidents directly to health and social services. While mental health advocates argue police presence can worsen volatile situations, psychiatric leaders point out that regional services face a 30% vacancy rate that could hinder a safe rollout.
Key points
Police officers in Northern Ireland will no longer routinely attend mental health welfare…: Police officers in Northern Ireland will no longer routinely attend mental health welfare checks unless lives are at risk.
Experts and families argue that deploying armed police officers to mental health crises c…: Experts and families argue that deploying armed police officers to mental health crises can inadvertently escalate dangerous situations.
Social care and psychiatry representatives caution that existing services lack the necess…: Social care and psychiatry representatives caution that existing services lack the necessary staffing resources to safely absorb these diverted cases.
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- Published
Police in Northern Ireland handle 30,000 mental health calls every year, or about 80 a day on average - but a major new policy will see a significant change in how those calls are answered.
From the start of November, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) will no longer carry out concern-for-welfare checks unless there's a risk to life or harm or a crime involved.
The public will still phone 999, but calls will be assessed and handlers may pass them onto other emergency services or health and social care staff.
While reaction to the policy has been mixed, the PSNI says it is about ensuring individuals receive care from the most appropriate professional or service.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson previously told a Stormont committee that the number of mental health contacts received by police had reached "unprecedented levels".
He said thousands of calls about a person potentially in danger were received by the PSNI - with just 3% of those related to crime.
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