To endorse the national ‘Right Care, Right Person’ approach, the EMED Safe Care team based in Bridgend provides vital, 24/7, 365-day-a-year services for patients across the South Wales region, with tailored support to support their recovery.
In May 2023, the police announced that, from August 31st, 2023, officers will no longer attend emergency calls relating to mental health incidents unless they concern life-threatening circumstances. The Met Police’s example is an effort to optimise the allocation of police resources to fight crime because around 30% of police vehicles, staff and time were spent dealing with mental health patients.
The complex, intangible nature of mental health conditions and nationwide underfunding of mental health care, insufficient incident reporting and allocating unsuitable personnel to deal with specific mental health concerns can cause significant harm to a patient, as well as the people around them. Unsuitable transport from high-risk settings can also raise safety and compliance concerns. Measures need to be implemented to accommodate the specific needs of patients.
The Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) National Partnership Agreement was initiated in July 2023 to provide timely and compassionate support to people facing mental health crises. Funding from the RHRP initiative, alongside the Welsh Government’s additional investment under the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, grants behavioural health professionals the capacity to assist the police with mental health cases.
With over 10 years of service excellence supporting patients with complex mental health needs, EMED Group provides mental health services under its Safe Care division to patients across South Wales from its Bridgend base. It offers three specialist covert vehicles alongside 10 staff equipped with Prevent Management of Violence & Aggression (PMVA) and other relevant training and is available at short notice on demand.
EMED’s national presence and continued organisational expansion allow it to allocate additional staff and vehicles from within proximity, ensuring efficient response time. In addition to transporting patients to and from mental health facilities, EMED provides prison patient transport, secure transport under Section 135/136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Bed Watch and Companion service.
EMED expertise works with the police by freeing them up to dedicate their valuable time and resources to preventing and solving crime. According to a report by the Humberside Police in 2021, the RPRC approach can produce monthly savings of around 1,441 officer hours locally. This also benefits patients because EMED can provide staff better suited to facilitate their recovery by ensuring proper, appropriate care from the right people.
By being equipped with the necessary training for unfavourable circumstances and communicating with patients in a compassionate yet firm manner, EMED can safely and securely transport its users to and from mental health facilities with their dignity at the forefront. Its services can also reduce the time that patients are detained in police holding cells, which can cause further detriment to their condition.
As EMED’s presence in South Wales grows, it will be mobilising its prison patient transport with Cardiff Prison in January 2024 to contribute to the ongoing development of the UK’s mental health care pathway.
