The Public Service Association is concerned over changes to police callouts and its latest mental health response programme changes.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“We have been consistent on this since the Mental Health Response Change launched: these changes are dangerous and will cause harm.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
W\u0101naka mental and community health facilitator Community Link hoped the changes would not alter the police assistance they would receive when the threshold was met.<\/p>\n
“We have a great relationship with the local police and hope that this won\u2019t change as a result of the changes,” general manager Kate Murray said.<\/p>\n
For new procedures, staff could engage Police only when there was an imminent threat to life or property.<\/p>\n
The change also meant that emergency calls will be triaged along with every other request that came through the 111 line.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
In April NZ Police admitted shortcomings in their handling of an incident late last year in W\u0101naka involving two mental health workers and a male patient with a history of violence.<\/p>\n
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 W\u0101naka.<\/p>\n
The individual, on leave from an inpatient clinic, had a documented history of physical and sexual assaults against staff.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
According to reports, W\u0101naka police declined to help in transporting the man, suggesting the female workers hire a bodyguard or manage the transfer themselves.<\/p>\n
Following the incident, the workers released the man due to safety concerns.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The incident highlighted challenges arising from the Mental Health Response Change Programme.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Ms Fitzsimons said that mental healthcare staff were just as concerned for their patients as they were with their own safety.<\/p>\n
“Mental health workers understand that the Police can\u2019t do everything.<\/p>\n
“But there are a whole lot of what-ifs that haven\u2019t been thought through, and at the end of the day patients and families are the ones who miss out.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“The Phase Three changes are being rolled out nationally across all police and HNZ districts.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
HNZ director of specialist mental health and addiction Karla Bergquist said the safety and wellbeing of patients and staff was paramount.<\/p>\n
“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 …”<\/p>\n
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