Mersey Care runs separate mental health triage cars and mental health response vehicles (MHRV) in partnership with Merseyside Police, Cheshire Police, British Transport Police (BTP) and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Our mental health triage cars cover Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley, Halton and Warrington with each one operated by a registered Mental Health Practitioner from Mersey Care and a police officer.
We also have a MHRV which combines the physical skills of NWAS and the mental health expertise of Mersey Care. It covers self harm, suicidality and other forms of psychosis and covers Sefton and Liverpool. We're planning to launch an additional MHRV in May 2024, which will cover Warrington, Halton, Knowsley and St Helens in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.
Our service users benefit from a collaborative multi-agency approach which supports a reduction in restrictive practices and ensures service users access support for their needs in a timely way.
The triage car service helps reduce the strain on emergency service teams, who traditionally attend Section 136 interventions - the section of the Mental Health Act which gives police the power to take someone to a place of safety from a public place or their home.
Previously they would escort someone experiencing a mental health crisis to a busy Accident and Emergency (A&E) department. This service and the newly established Urgent Care Hub enable services to offer alternative support and less restrictive plans can be put in place, including assessment without detaining, escorting service users to our bespoke fit for purpose clinical decision units or supporting assessments within the community.
This partnership model has provided a big benefit to all organisations, including a reduction in presentations to A&E and other mental health services and reduces pressure on other services such as transport services where people may tend to go when in distress.