The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley has announced that the London police force is to attend fewer mental health emergencies. As part of an approach called Right Care, Right Person, police officers will only respond to 999 mental health calls when there is an “immediate threat to life”. The new strategy will be implemented from September 1 2023.
This change has been in motion since Humberside Police created the model in 2020. It is now being adopted by forces across England. In Scotland, a similar reform – Right Care, Right Time – has already been introduced.
Mental health leaders have criticised the move. Adrian James, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said it is “unhelpful and impractical”. Others have accused the police of creating a vacuum, with mental health charity Mind’s Sarah Hughes saying she fears “people will lose their lives”.
