Nearly ten thousand calls made to West Yorkshire Police from people in Calderdale involving mental health over the last five years

A Freedom of Information request by the Halifax Courier has revealed that 9,288 incidents were logged by the force from Calderdale in relation to mental health from April 2018 to March this year, of which 5,594 were attended by officers.

The figures rose from 1,842 in 2018/19 to a high of 2,168 in 2019/20.

They have then fallen to 2,078 in 2020/21, 1,734 in 2021/22 and 1,466 in 2022/23.

Halifax MP Holly Lynch said: "I’m afraid I've seen this too many times when someone is in distress or approaching a crisis, it has proved incredibly difficult to secure specialist mental health assessments and support for them.

"This results in the wrong care for people at their most vulnerable.

"It so often means that the resources other services like the Police, the council as well as my team and I then have to put in as we try and do everything we can to support someone is massive.

"So not only is right for the person in distress, but it would be cost effective to be truly proactive about mental health, led by specialists, preventing more people from being in crisis.

"I am working closely with the mental health trust on some specific examples I have been involved in but the next Labour government has said it will guarantee mental health treatment within a month, by recruiting thousands of new staff as part of our costed workforce plan.

"Caring for those with mental health challenges will always require a partnership approach but that partnership should be led by specialists."

West Yorkshire Police said in a statement: "We have worked closely with partners in recent years to ensure those at risk are provided with appropriate support at the first opportunity.

"Persons in need of support with their mental health can have complex needs and the Right Care Right Person framework has been rolled out nationally to ensure those who call the police receive the best support and advice.

"It is vital that the right agency responds to a call and the most appropriate service is provided to those in need efficiently, without delay, with the expert knowledge and specialist care to prevent harm. This is the basis of Right Care, Right Person framework.

"In Calderdale, we have close working relationships with partners in local authority and healthcare professions, ensuring the most appropriate agency deals with health-related calls.

"This has meant that calls for service, which may once have been attended by police, are now attended by the most appropriate service to provide the right care and medical attention to those in need of mental health support.

"Officers continue to perform their key role of keeping people safe and where there is a real and immediate risk to life, serious harm, or crime in action, officers will respond swiftly.

"We will continue to focus on delivering the best and most appropriate service to those in need."

If you need help with your mental health, you can contact a 24/7 local NHS helpline on 0800 183 0558, there is 24/7 open access to local mental health services on 01924 316830 or you can call The Samaritans on 116 123.