The head of mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk has expressed alarm at the prospect of police officers not attending some emergency calls.
Zoe Billingham, chairman of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), expressed deep concern about the prospect of officers no longer responding to mental health calls unless there is a threat to life.
It comes as the Metropolitan Police has written to health and social care services to say its officers will no longer attend all calls linked to mental health incidents after August 31.
Norfolk police said last month it was also examining the way it responds to calls to identify those that are “not core policing business” to free up officers' time rather than dealing with patients in need of medical help from experts.
One in five 999 and 101 calls in Norfolk relate to people with mental health issues.
READ MORE: Troubled NHS trust piling 'pressure' on police force, report claims
But serious concerns have been raised about what the policy change could mean for vulnerable people.
“I think it would be really, really dangerous if the police were just to unilaterally withdraw from attending mental health crisis calls right now,” Ms Billingham, who is also a former Inspector of Constabulary, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
“It is absolutely right that people in mental health crises do need to be cared for in a health setting, but it has always been the job of the police to be the first responder.”
READ MORE: Norfolk and Suffolk mental health trust no longer inadequate
Both the Met and Norfolk police are looking to adopt a policy trialled by Humberside Police, known as Right Care, Right Person (RCRP), which had mental health workers dealing with calls and was found to save 1,100 police hours per month.
Ms Billingham said: “There isn’t another agency to step in and fill the vacuum so I am alarmed to see how this works.
“I’ve seen it work well in other forces but that is after years of negotiations and investment in community mental health services.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here