Justice Minister Angela Constance and Labour spokesperson Pauline McNeill.
By Bill Heaney
Mental Health calls are consuming the time of as many as 600 police officers a year, the Scottish Parliament was told yesterday.
Scottish Labour’s justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill asked the question of Angela Constance, the cabinet secretary for home affairs.
Angela Constance told MSPs: “I am grateful to police officers and other front-line agencies that support people who are in distress or are experiencing mental ill health.
“The Scottish Government and the Scottish Police Authority have established a multi-agency group to ensure that people with mental health needs are able to access the right service at the right time.
“Officers are often the first point of contact and, therefore, play a vital role in supporting communities and victims of crime.
“However, it is essential that they are able to transfer care of people with mental health needs to the services that can support them best.”
Pauline McNeill said the chief constable of Police Scotland, Jo Farrell, pictured at top of page, says that the police are receiving calls related to mental health as frequently as “three or four calls per minute on a busy day”.
She added: “The chief constable says that the demands of mental health calls were consuming time equivalent to 600 police officers per year.”
She added that officers would take those in distress to “third party support”, but she described such provisions as a “postcode lottery”.
Ms McNeill added: “I am aware that the cabinet secretary knows full well the implications of mental ill health, especially for the job of police officers, but can she tell me whether the Scottish Government is looking into a national triage service, for instance, to which the police could take or direct people who are in distress?”
Angela Constance replied: “I confirm that there is a comprehensive range of action under way that involves senior leadership across the Government, in particular in justice and health.
“I very much recognise that the role of policing has changed considerably over the past decade, as has the impact of increased demand for mental health support on the police and mental health services.
“The partnership delivery group that I referred to in my earlier answer is developing a very comprehensive work plan to build on the work that is already in place.”
She instanced NHS Lanarkshire, which has had a 73 per cent reduction in police conveyances to emergency departments for mental health presentations since 2019.
“That is because officers there are able to use a triage service for consultation with a psychiatric liaison nurse,” said Ms Constance.
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) said: “That was a very interesting response. On triage, I know that the cabinet secretary is aware of the distress brief intervention project, which is a triage service involving agencies including the police, the national health service and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“Vulnerable individuals are directed to the correct pathway to help them to deal with issues. I can advise members that the Scottish Borders was one of the first places where that has been rolled out. I am sure that the cabinet secretary welcomes the development of that project.”
Angela Constance said: “Since the launch of the pilot in Ms Grahame’s constituency, more than 62,000 people have now been referred to our world-leading distress brief intervention programme.
“Police Scotland is, rightly, a key national partner in that programme, which provides compassionate, personalised and non-clinical support to people who are in emotional distress and come into contact with front-line services, including the police.”
