RCPsych in NI responds to roll out of Right Care, Right Person

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Dr Richard Wilson, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland, said: 

“Mental health services in Northern Ireland (NI) are in crisis from a workforce and resource perspective. We have the lowest per capita spend on mental health services among the four nations of the UK, high vacancy rates and services that are already struggling to meet the needs of the population. We also acknowledge the significant staffing and resource challenges facing the PSNI. 

“While we support the underlying principles of Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) and welcome the PSNI’s engagement with a range of stakeholders, including RCPsych in NI, in preparation for its roll-out, we have significant concerns about the readiness of the wider health and social care system for the planned first phase on 1 November. 

“Mental health services in Northern Ireland cannot be directly compared with those in England. We lack a number of the services available elsewhere, including NHS 111, dedicated mental health assessment suites, mental health ambulances and mental health staff embedded in police or ambulance control centres.  

“In England, the introduction of RCRP has been variable in terms of how effectively it’s been implemented by local police, health and other relevant services. As a result, far too many people experiencing a mental health crisis have not received the support they need.  

“There’s been no national dedicated funding and resourcing to support its effective implementation in England and, similarly, additional funding and resources have not been forthcoming in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Mental Health Strategy has also not received the additional resources required for meaningful implementation. 

“We agree that people experiencing mental health crises should receive timely care from appropriate health professionals. However, we have concerns about a protocol that dismantles the police safety net before a robust, agreed and adequately resourced healthcare safety net is operational. Police involvement must remain available where there is a risk of harm and no one experiencing a mental health emergency should fall between services or face delays in receiving help. 

“Experience elsewhere, including concerns raised through coronial Prevention of Future Deaths reports, underlines the need for cautious implementation, effective monitoring and the ability to address problems swiftly. If services are not ready to respond safely, the planned timetable should be reconsidered.   

“The implementation of RCRP in Northern Ireland must not result in preventable harm. RCRP must be adapted to our local circumstances, and its success must be measured by the safety, welfare and outcomes of people experiencing mental health difficulties — not simply by reductions in police demand.  

“The NI Executive must urgently provide mental health services with the resources and funding required, in line with the commitments set out in the Mental Health Strategy, to ensure people receive consistent, timely and appropriate support.”