The Guardian reported, in order to focus more on crime, the metropolitan police in the United Kingdom will halt attending mental crisis-related cases.
The report informed Mark Rowley, Met’s chief officer indicated an order will be issued to his officers, not to attend the numerous calls received every year in relation to mental health incidents.
The order was conveyed to health and social care services, with a deadline, after which the new scheme will be in effect.
Officers are being confused about their primary mission of combating crime, and individuals who require medical professionals are misled by the police officer to take charge instead, informed Met chief. Spending more than 10,000 hours a month on issues, primarily health matters, and social services and police are failing patients by neglecting to provide appropriate help, and impacting police resources.
He added in the letter that Humberside police’s theory of, the right care, right person (RCRP) strategy, ensures that the proper care for mental health is handled by professionals rather than officers.
It is important to stress the urgency of putting in place RCRP, in London. In failing to do so we are failing Londoners and patients, and not setting officers up for success, as reported by newspapers.
Firstly, sending police officers, and not medical professionals, to individuals with mental health issues, expecting them to achieve their best in situations where they are not the right people to be attending to patients, it added.
We are letting down Londoners for the second time by diverting a large number of officers’ time, away from solving crimes along with dealing with victims, in order to fill gaps for others, it added.
However, the plan’s tight deadline could result in leaving people without support, as it is health and social care capacity is overstretched.
It is mentioned by, Mind CEO, Sarah Hughes, that it is appropriate to include mental health as a police business, involving officers for “sectioning”. She added people are sometimes sectioned – or kept in hospital, by a law called mental health, which comes into effect if a person is classified as a risk to themselves and others.
