Met rejects 6,000 mental health calls every month

Funding is needed in London for "stretched" mental health services, the Metropolitan Police has warned, as the force withdraws from 6,000 NHS calls every month. The Met has said its "Right Care Right Person" programme, which led to the police to stop responding to mental health patients where the NHS should be required, has saved 34,000 officer hours since November last year.

- REBECCA THOMAS

In an update six months after announcing its decision to stop attending calls, the police told The Independent that detentions by police have been cut by around half. The news comes after Nottinghamshire Police have faced scrutiny over the handling of killer Valdo Calocane, who was a patient under the local mental health services when he killed Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65.

Forces across the country have been implementing Right Care Right Person, which was first trialled in Humberside, after it was backed by the former home secretary Suella Braverman last year.

Data shared today shows police in London have attended 6,000 fewer calls which were deemed to be more appropriate for healthcare services to respond to. The move in London, announced last September, initially sparked a backlash from NHS leaders The Independent has previously revealed.

Although healthcare leaders welcomed a reduction in the use of police for people suffering mental health crisis, concern was raised over the lack of capacity within the mental health system to meet the addition demand.

In an interview with The Independent Detective Superintendent Alistair Vanner, said that the force believes there has been a reduction in harm to mental health patients who can often be criminalised when suffering a crisis.

DS Vanner confirmed the NHS and Met Police have yet to do a formal impact assessment of the programme but are looking at potential data which can be used to assess the safety of it.