FOI 54972

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 54972

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 26^th January 2021. Please find below the response to your request:

I am following up from my previous FOI Request (FOI 48656) about detentions by your police officers under S136 of the Mental Health Act.

In the response, your force said that 36 people were initially detained by officers at a police station under S136 of the Mental Health Act between April to December of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

For all of these 36 people (without disclosing any confidential/data protected information) initially detained over the stated periods,

please could you tell me: how many were under the age of 18 at the time of detention? in how many of the 36 such detention incidences was a health professional (for example, but not limited to a paramedic or occupational therapist) not consulted for the detention? On how many occasions was it considered by the arresting police officer not practical to seek advice from a medical professional/source (please could you state for each occasion whether it was: because consultation would not be in the immediate best interests of the safety or wellbeing of the detainee or others; for example in an urgent situation where the officer needs to use their powers to protect the person concerned or others from harm- or because the officer knew that there was no appropriate advice service available to them to consult with sufficient timeliness).

Clarification:

1. In how many of the 36 such detention incidences was a health professional (for example, but not limited to a paramedic or occupational therapist) not consulted for the detention? When you say consulted, do you mean prior to, during their period in police detention or either / or?

Answer:

When I say consulted, I mean prior to or during their period of police detention (so either). But in your response please can you make clear whether consultation occurred prior or during the detainee's period in police detention on each individual occasion.

Reply:-

For all of these 36 people (without disclosing any confidential/data protected information) initially detained over the stated periods, please could you tell me:

How many were under the age of 18 at the time of detention?

1 – aged 16

In how many of the 36 such detention incidences was a health professional (for example, but not limited to a paramedic or occupational therapist) not consulted for the detention?

Please see the table below

On how many occasions was it considered by the arresting police officer not practical to seek advice from a medical professional/source (please could you state for each occasion whether it was: because consultation would not be in the immediate best interests of the safety or wellbeing of the detainee or others; for example in an urgent situation where the officer needs to use their powers to protect the person concerned or others from harm- or because the officer knew that there was no appropriate advice service available to them to consult with sufficient timeliness).

That level of decision making / information is not recorded on any of our force systems, however, it is hoped that some of the detail below will go some way to provide an insight into how officers exercise their powers under S136 MHA.

It is not normal practice for officers to seek medical advice prior to exercising their power under S136MHA.  Officers will take the decision to detain and will then call for an ambulance to undertake transport.

Where an individual is detained at the police station they will always be subject to referral to a medical  professional.