The Police Service of Northern Ireland will implement a new protocol beginning in November that restricts police response to mental health calls. Under the Right Care Right Person policy, officers will no longer conduct concern-for-welfare checks unless a risk to life, harm, or criminal activity is involved.
Currently, the PSNI handles approximately 30,000 mental health calls annually, averaging about 80 per day. According to police leadership, just 3% of these calls relate to actual crimes. Under the new approach, emergency call handlers will assess incoming 999 calls and may redirect them to other emergency services or health and social care personnel rather than dispatching police. Members of the public will continue to use 999 for emergencies, but calls will be triaged to determine the appropriate response.
The policy has already been in operation among certain police forces in England and Wales since 2023. Police will continue to respond if calls involve risk of harm, risk to life, or criminal activity. Calls requiring welfare checks or other non-emergency responses may now be handled by health, social care, or community services instead.
Support for the policy comes from advocates who argue that police attendance can be counterproductive in mental health crises. However, concerns have been raised by mental health professionals and social workers regarding implementation timing and service capacity. Dr. Ross Irvine from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland noted that 30% of mental health posts across the province are currently vacant and described existing services as being at crisis point. Social work representatives expressed concerns that removing police as a safety net while other services lack sufficient resources could create gaps in care. Despite these concerns, mental health officials have emphasized that coordinated systems are working together to ensure crisis support remains available.
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