Fears have been raised after police forces in England and Wales outlined plans to reduce the number of mental health call-outs they respond to by 80%.
The new framework, called the National Partnership Agreement, will see some forces attend between 20 and 30% of health and social care incidents over the next two years.
Officers will only respond when there is a public safety risk or a crime being committed. They will not attend welfare checks or visit patients who have missed appointments.
Police to reduce number of mental health call-outs
Policing minister Chris Philp said: “The police have been responding to a very large volume of mental health cases, which isn’t of course the best thing for the person concerned because what they need is medical assistance, not a police officer turning up.”
The statement follows Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s comments that it will stop responding to mental health
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