The Public Service Association is concerned over changes to police callouts and its latest mental health response programme changes.
The union which represents more than 95,000 workers across government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health and community groups condemned the changes, saying there are unacceptable gaps in worker and patient safety.
Phase Three of the programme kicked in this week and meant a higher threshold for mental health workers seeking police assistance with unwell patients, as well as a new process for patients who abscond from facilities.
“We have been consistent on this since the Mental Health Response Change launched: these changes are dangerous and will cause harm.
“We call on Health New Zealand to properly consider the support needed given the withdrawal of Police from this important work,” PSA national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, said.
Wānaka mental and community health facilitator Community Link hoped the changes would not alter the police assistance they would receive when the threshold was met.
“We have a great relationship with the local police and hope that this won’t change as a result of the changes,” general manager Kate Murray said.
For new procedures, staff could engage Police only when there was an imminent threat to life or property.
The change also meant that emergency calls will be triaged along with every other request that came through the 111 line.
“Mental health nurses and healthcare assistants work in what can be quite dangerous conditions, with very unwell people who can act unpredictably, they must have a direct line to Police,” Ms Fitzsimons said.
In April NZ Police admitted shortcomings in their handling of an incident late last year in Wānaka involving two mental health workers and a male patient with a history of violence.
In December, the workers reported the man as a risk to others, stating he was carrying two knives while in a broken-down car in Wānaka.
The individual, on leave from an inpatient clinic, had a documented history of physical and sexual assaults against staff.
“Police acknowledge there are elements of our interactions with this man in December 2024 that could have been better and these were discussed in a debrief after the fact,” Inspector Paula Enoka said at the time.
According to reports, Wānaka police declined to help in transporting the man, suggesting the female workers hire a bodyguard or manage the transfer themselves.
Following the incident, the workers released the man due to safety concerns.
Days later, police found him at a Haast motel, from which he escaped, prompting a search and rescue operation. He was eventually located in a hut.
The incident highlighted challenges arising from the Mental Health Response Change Programme.
Notably, if someone was detained under the Mental Health Act while in police custody, they must be transferred to a health facility within 30 minutes.
Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson noted discrepancies in interpreting Section 109 of the Mental Health Act 1992, particularly concerning the handover of detained individuals in hospital emergency departments.
Ms Fitzsimons said that mental healthcare staff were just as concerned for their patients as they were with their own safety.
“Mental health workers understand that the Police can’t do everything.
“But there are a whole lot of what-ifs that haven’t been thought through, and at the end of the day patients and families are the ones who miss out.”
Asst Comm Johnson said HNZ and NZ Police were committed to working together to safely introduce the changes in a way that ensured those in mental distress received appropriate care and staff delivering it were kept safe.
“We are determined to get this right and have been taking the time to ensure the plan for phase three and its implementation will be safe and clear.
“The Phase Three changes are being rolled out nationally across all police and HNZ districts.”
Police and HNZ have taken on feedback from district teams and worked together to create a more streamlined process for submitting and processing non-emergency requests and updated the Police response threshold for managing them, Asst Comm Johnson said.
“Under Phase Three, any non-emergency requests for assistance and missing person reports from mental health services will be assessed against updated guidance that considers the immediate safety risk and … risk of significant future harm that Police powers … are required to prevent.”
HNZ director of specialist mental health and addiction Karla Bergquist said the safety and wellbeing of patients and staff was paramount.
“The detailed planning work for phase three identified a range of scenarios which cannot be managed by health practitioners alone, or where there may be a need for Police assistance …”