From the start of November, the Police Service of Northern Ireland will stop carrying out concern-for-welfare checks unless there is a risk to life or harm, or a crime is involved, under a new policy called Right Care Right Person. The change, which has been in place among some forces in England and Wales since 2023, is intended to ensure individuals receive care from the most appropriate professional, but health and social care representatives have raised concerns about whether there are sufficient resources to implement it safely.
The PSNI receives about 30,000 mental health calls a year, or roughly 80 a day, but Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told a Stormont committee that the PSNI received thousands of calls about a person potentially in danger, with just 3 per cent of those related to crime.
The Right Care Right Person policy has been in place in some forces in England and Wales since 2023. Under the system, calls to 999 are triaged, and police only attend if there is a risk of harm or to life, or a crime is involved. Otherwise, welfare checks may be handled by health, social care or community services.
Charles Little, whose in-laws Michael and Marjorie Cawdery were killed in a frenzied attack in 2017 by a man suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, supports the change. He said that if the policy had been in place at the time it might have "saved the day". He added that a police presence can be frightening for someone in crisis and "the police are effectively the mental health front line".
However, some health bodies have raised concerns. Dr Ross Irvine from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland said mental health services are “at crisis point” with 30 per cent of posts vacant. He said a policy that removes the safety net the PSNI is currently providing and transfers it onto services already “struggling to stand still” gives cause for concern.
George Hannah, from the British Association of Social Workers, said members were telling the association that the rollout was “too quick” and “there aren't sufficient resources in the system to do it safely at the moment”. He described the risk of moving people around a system without the care to support them.
The Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland, Prof Siobhan O'Neill, called the policy an important step forward, saying “the police were attending calls where there really wasn't a policing issue”. But she expressed disappointment that there had not been investment in health and mental health services to ensure a backfill, alternative service, and has previously called for a Regional Crisis Intervention Service.
The PSNI said the approach is about ensuring individuals receive care from the most appropriate professional and will help reduce avoidable delays and improve consistency.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The change shifts responsibility for mental health crisis response from police to health services, potentially reducing criminalisation of mental illness but also placing additional strain on already under-resourced health and social care systems.
- For the 30,000 people in Northern Ireland who experience mental health emergencies each year, the policy could mean a more appropriate professional response, or a delayed response if health services cannot handle the extra demand.
- The outcome may influence how other regions in the UK and beyond approach the intersection of policing and mental health.
Background
The Right Care Right Person policy was introduced by some police forces in England and Wales in 2023. It builds on the principle that police should only attend mental health calls where there is a risk to life or crime, with health and social care professionals taking the lead elsewhere. The PSNI, which receives about 80 mental-health-related calls per day, is now adopting the policy after the number of mental health contacts reached "unprecedented levels". The murder of the couple Michael and Marjorie Cawdery by a man with paranoid schizophrenia in 2017 highlighted gaps in the previous system.
Key Perspectives
- Charles Little (campaigner, son-in-law of Cawdery victims): supports the change, believes it could have saved lives and that a police response can worsen a crisis.
- Dr Ross Irvine (Royal College of Psychiatrists, Northern Ireland): concerned the removal of the police safety net will overwhelm struggling mental health services.
- George Hannah (British Association of Social Workers): says the rollout is too fast and there are insufficient resources to take on the added responsibility safely.
- Prof Siobhan O'Neill (Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland): welcomes the policy as necessary but criticises the lack of investment in a crisis intervention service.
- Police Service of Northern Ireland: says the policy ensures individuals get the right care from the right person and will improve consistency and reduce delays.
What to Watch
- The Northern Ireland Department of Health's next budget for mental health services, and whether it funds the Regional Crisis Intervention Service that Prof O'Neill has called for.
- Early data from the PSNI on the number of calls redirected under the new triage, and any shifts in response times or patient outcomes.
- Potential trial periods or adjustments if health services struggle to meet the new demand.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe PSNI will stop carrying out concern-for-welfare checks from the start of November unless there is a risk to life or harm, or a crime is involved.BBC Northern Ireland: “From the start of November, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) will no longer carry out concern-for-welfare checks unless there's a risk to life or harm or a crime involved.”
- SupportedThe Right Care Right Person policy aims to get people care from the most appropriate professional or service, and concerns have been raised about resources for implementing it safely.BBC Northern Ireland: “While reaction to the policy has been mixed, the PSNI says it is about ensuring individuals receive care from the most appropriate professional or service.”
- SupportedThe PSNI handles about 30,000 mental health calls a year, or about 80 a day on average.BBC Northern Ireland: “Police in Northern Ireland handle 30,000 mental health calls every year, or about 80 a day on average”
- SupportedAssistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told a Stormont committee that thousands of calls were about a person potentially in danger, and 3% of those were related to crime.BBC Northern Ireland: “He said thousands of calls about a person potentially in danger were received by the PSNI - with just 3% of those related to crime.”
- SupportedRight Care Right Person has been in place among some forces in England and Wales since 2023.BBC Northern Ireland: “It has been in place among some forces in England and Wales since 2023”
- SupportedUnder the policy, 999 calls are triaged and police attend if there is a risk of harm or to life, or a crime is involved; other services may attend instead.BBC Northern Ireland: “Calls to 999 will be triaged and if there is any risk of harm or to life, or if a crime is involved, the police will still attend.”
- SupportedCharles Little said the policy might have “saved the day” if it had been in place when his in-laws were killed.BBC Northern Ireland: “Little told BBC News NI that if the Right Care Right Person policy was in place at that time it may have "saved the day".”
- SupportedLittle said a police arrival can be frightening for someone in mental health crisis and that police are effectively the mental health front line.BBC Northern Ireland: “"If you're in a mental health crisis you might find a policeman turning up extremely frightening and it might worsen the situation," he said. "So you don't always want the police to go first, even though at the moment the police are effectively the mental health front line."”
- SupportedDr Ross Irvine said mental health services were at crisis point and 30% of posts across the province were vacant.BBC Northern Ireland: “"our mental health services are currently at crisis point". "30% of posts across the province are sitting vacant, and that has real-world implications," he said.”
- SupportedIrvine said transferring the PSNI's safety-net role to services already struggling to stand still gave cause for concern.BBC Northern Ireland: “"A policy which removes the safety net that the PSNI are currently providing, and transfers that onto services that are already struggling to stand still, does give us cause for concern."”
- SupportedGeorge Hannah said members considered the rollout too quick and that there were not sufficient resources to do it safely at the moment.BBC Northern Ireland: “"What we're hearing from our members is this is too quick, there aren't sufficient resources in the system to do it safely at the moment."”
- SupportedProf Siobhan O'Neill called the policy an important step forward and said police had attended calls with no policing issue; she also expressed disappointment about the lack of investment in services to provide a backfill or alternative.BBC Northern Ireland: “The Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland, Prof Siobhan O'Neill, said she believes that the policy is an important step forward. "The police were attending calls where there really wasn't a policing issue," she said.”