British police was slammed for not responding to mental health unit calls.
Staff in mental health units have criticized British police for not responding to calls for help to restrain patients, saying the policy could put lives at risk.
This comes after the Metropolitan police ordered its staff not to respond to calls from mental health centers unless there is a “significant threat to life or limb”.
According to those who work in the units, the new policy could put both patients and staff™s lives at risk as the staff might not be able to control or restrain patients in all cases.
The staff also fear that the lack of support from British police could result in serious injury or death.
British police, however, is concerned that the police are not specially trained to control and restrain psychiatric patients while staff are.
Chris Bourlet of the police mental health team admitted that the protocol caused concerns among staff but said it aimed at standardizing responses across the capital city of London.
“This is about making sure everyone knows where we stand. This is not about withdrawing service where it is appropriate, it is about defining who is responsible for what and where the line is,” he said.
MOS/HE
Copyright: Press TV