People detained under Section 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act in January 2025
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.25.043769
I note you seek access to the following information:
I have just taken this extract from your Right Care Right Person(RCRP) release announcing you were starting the scheme:
In March 2023, Met officers detained 573 people under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act and many more under Section 135, the two most commonly used powers of detention where there are concerns that someone poses a risk to themselves or others.
In London, it takes on average 14.2 hours in A&E and 8.5 hours at a health-based place of safety from the police arriving with a patient to medical staff taking over their care.
It is estimated that Met officers spend well over 10,000 hours each month responding to mental health concerns and dealing with what should principally be health matters.
Figures from the recent National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) Productivity Review showed that nationally, police officers are spending just under one million hours a year sat with mental health patients in hospitals waiting for assessment.
I would like to have an update to these figures for January 2025.
- In January 2025, how many people did Met officers detain under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act.
- In January 2025, how many people did Met officers detain under Section 135 of the Mental Health Act.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full. Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Q1 - In January 2025, how many people did Met officers detain under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act.
There are 270 records created in January 2025 classified as Detained under Section 136 Mental Health Act
Q2 - In January 2025, how many people did Met officers detain under Section 135 of the Mental Health Act.
There are 206 records created in January 2025 classified as Section 135 Mental Health Assessment