Amended police powers under the MHA 1983

Ambulance call-outs to mental health patients have risen by 23% over the past 2 years and it is common for paramedics to attend to a person experiencing an acute mental health crisis (Marsh, 2017). A key reason for this increase is the requirement of the Mental Health Act 1983 codes of practice for England and Wales, both of which state:

‘Patients should always be transported in the manner which is most likely to preserve their dignity and privacy consistent with managing any risk to their health and safety or to other people.’

This generally requires that an ambulance or other method of transportation is made available to take the person to either the place of detention or the place where they ought to be, in accordance with a locally agreed policy on the transport of patients under the Act.