Agreement between police and the NHS to emergency improve mental health care

The Government has hailed a new agreement – called the Crisis Care Concordat – which it argues will see “dramatic improvements” in emergency support for people in mental health crisis across the country. The concordat has been signed by 22 organisations, including NHS England, The Association of Chief Police Officers, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and sets out the standards of care people should expect if they suffer a mental health crisis.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, a keen promoter of reforms championing mental health, stated that “we want to build a fairer society – one where mental health is as important as physical health – and the Crisis Care Concordat is an important step towards addressing this disparity”.

Department of Health