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For senior nurse practitioner and RCN health and safety rep Ian Fairbairn, working with the police perfectly reflects his family background. 蜜桃直播淢y mum was a nurse and dad a police officer,蜜桃直播� he says. 蜜桃直播淗e蜜桃直播檇 always wanted me to follow him, so when I told him about the job, he said: at last, you蜜桃直播檝e seen the light!蜜桃直播� 

As a member of the Blue Light team 蜜桃直播� a specialised group of 4 mental health nurses who are part of Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust (SPNHSFT) 蜜桃直播� Ian works alongside Sussex Police to ensure those in urgent need of mental health treatment receive it quickly, and to help support police officers effectively and sensitively deal with these situations. Amid changing policies on police response to mental health callouts in some areas of the UK, teams like Ian's are becoming even more crucial.

Now the team蜜桃直播檚 contribution has been commended by Sussex Police, who highlighted their dedication, professionalism and commitment, saying: 'The Blue Light team has worked tirelessly alongside uniformed colleagues to manage, maintain and promote best practice in mental health police provisions.'

蜜桃直播淲e didn蜜桃直播檛 know anything about it 蜜桃直播� an officer nominated us,蜜桃直播� Ian explains. 蜜桃直播淲e feel very proud.蜜桃直播�

Expert assessments and advice

Ian joined the team almost 3 years ago, after retiring from working within an A&E department for 15 years. His team covers North West and Mid Sussex, which has a population of 385,000, with one nurse on each shift available from 2pm until 10pm each evening. There are 4 other teams serving Eastbourne, Brighton, Worthing and Chichester.

蜜桃直播淎ny officer can call from wherever they are and ask for our support,蜜桃直播� Ian explains. This might include over-the-phone advice, some history if the person they蜜桃直播檙e trying to help is known to the service, or attending in person.

Any officer can call from wherever they are and ask for our support

Team members can also check on calls coming from members of the public, to see if there蜜桃直播檚 anything they can help with straightaway 蜜桃直播� for example, if a person is showing signs of distress and demonstrating risky behaviour, such as dodging in and out of traffic on a busy road.  

Immediate assessments are carried out to determine whether someone should be held under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act, which gives the police emergency powers to remove someone from a public place to somewhere safe.

Decisions can also be made about whether any follow-up is needed from mental health, social or substance misuse services.

蜜桃直播淭he beauty of this system is being embedded with the police,蜜桃直播� says Ian. 蜜桃直播淚蜜桃直播檓 very impressed with their attitude towards someone in a mental health crisis. They蜜桃直播檙e very supportive, helping us to develop this service.蜜桃直播� 

The service operates alongside a growing demand for mental health support. SPNHSFT says calls to a mental health crisis line more than doubled over a 12-month period 蜜桃直播� reaching 17,000 in September 2023, up from 7,500 the previous year. Meanwhile there has been a 15% rise between 2019 and 2023 in those attending A&E departments for mental health conditions, says the trust.  

Reducing crises

A key aim of Ian蜜桃直播檚 service is to reduce the number of people detained under Section 136, by assessing what蜜桃直播檚 best for the person at that point. Options might include admission to a mental health unit, referral to a crisis team, or a voluntary place at a local haven where someone can access immediate support.

蜜桃直播淭he difference for patients is they get a gold star service,蜜桃直播� says Ian. 蜜桃直播淲e蜜桃直播檙e all very experienced senior nurses and we can be there, on the spot and face-to-face.蜜桃直播� 

Feedback is overwhelmingly good, both from patients and their families. Meanwhile statistics show their intervention works too, with just 9 people receiving a Section 136 during a recent month 蜜桃直播� around two-thirds less than in other areas.

蜜桃直播淧atients are engaging with us,蜜桃直播� he says. 蜜桃直播淭hey don蜜桃直播檛 have to go to A&E and be assessed 蜜桃直播� I can do it and we can agree a plan together about the best course of action.蜜桃直播� 

The difference for patients is they get a gold star service

His service also reduces the pressures on the police, with several staff often tied up for many hours if someone has to be detained. 蜜桃直播淲e have a fundamental principle of the least restrictive practice,蜜桃直播� says Ian. 蜜桃直播淲e work with patients and it蜜桃直播檚 a negotiation. We de-escalate situations and once the person is calm and receptive, we can look gently at what蜜桃直播檚 happened, what蜜桃直播檚 brought this about and their options.蜜桃直播� 

Additionally, team members act as role models for police officers on how to interact with someone who is having a mental health crisis. Officers also ask for advice in how to deal with different scenarios, when they feel mental health issues might be a factor. 蜜桃直播淪ometimes during an interview they can become uneasy with someone蜜桃直播檚 presentation,蜜桃直播� says Ian. 蜜桃直播淏ecause we蜜桃直播檙e in the police station, we蜜桃直播檙e able to inform and support lots of different services, improving their confidence.蜜桃直播�