101 and 999 calls received related to Mental Health from January 2017 to September 2022

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.026746

I note you seek access to the following information:

Could you please provide answers to the questions below for years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and if possible, 2022 so far.

1a) How many 999 calls did you take overall, annually?
1b) How many 999 calls annually were identified as being mental ill-health related?

2a) How many 101 calls did you take overall, annually?
2b) How many 101 calls were identified as mental ill-health related?

3a) How many incidents did you deal with in total, annually?
3b) How many incidents were identified as mental ill-health related?

4a) Did you have any mental health triage experts (and/or triage vehicles) designated to deal with mental ill-health incidents for any of these years?
4b) If yes to 4a, how many times was a mental health triage expert (and/or triage vehicle) deployed out each year?

Answers should include both police responding to someone in a mental ill-health crisis where there is no crime involved, and criminal incidents where someone involved has a mental ill-health problem.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Please find attached information pursuant to your request for Q1 – Q3.

Please see below answer to Q4.

Q4a) Did you have any mental health triage experts (and/or triage vehicles) designated to deal with mental ill-health incidents for any of these years?
4b) If yes to 4a, how many times was a mental health triage expert (and/or triage vehicle) deployed out each year?

The following response was provided by the relevant unit.

The crisis car came into being in December 2017 with limited service.

From December 2017 we only attended calls where police were on scene and requesting assistance.

In 2018 we extended the service to LAS (London Ambulance Service - although they have their own but limited hours and limited staffing).

End of 2018 we extended to persons calling in crisis and their family friends. Please see number of attendance below:

2018 – 380
2019 – 430
2020 – 480
2021 – 492
2022 to August 452

We do not attend all calls that are made. Telephone advice given in other cases.

On average we attend face to face 1 in 4 calls made for advice.

We cover Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon covering calls from MET and BTP (British Transport Police).

We attend police stations but not custody.

On average:
75% are left at home with referral to existing or new service.
10% of people seen were sectioned under S136.
8% taken to hospital for medical or MCA – Information to NHS.
7% arrested or Voluntary to hospital.