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Post by Michaela on Sept 9, 2013 21:25:17 GMT
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03b59yw/Panorama_Locked_Up_For_Being_Ill/Did anyone else watch the BBC Panorama episode on mental illness in police stations? It was basically showing how the police is being forced to hold people who need a mental health assessment in custody, because the NHS is not responding quickly enough. I was almost crying, it was awful the way some of these people were locked in cells with no support and clearly in extreme distress and seriously suicidal.
Essentially, the programme highlighted the huge deficit in appropriate services and resources for people in crisis. The police were doing as much as they could, but the fact is they are not trained mental health professionals and don't have the expertise to deal with these situations. I don't really blame the NHS either - they too are stretched to the limit. All this just proves that something needs to change and quickly. It's not right that the police are being left to pick up when there isn't enough time or space for the mental health services to deal with the situation. From the programme, it seemed that a lot of people are being rejected from mental health services and the only people available to help were the police. It's not ok. On a positive note, the system being trialed at the end of the programme, whereby a psychiatric nurse travelled with a police officer as a sort of mental health crisis response team, seemed to work well and is a possible option for the future. But I think a major issue is simply the lack of money available for mental health services. It needs to become a priority.
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Post by Ollie on Sept 19, 2013 10:33:26 GMT
Hello Michaela, I started to watch this but after a couple of minutes found it way too distressing. I have been locked in police cells twice due to my mental health, both times my partner rang for an ambulance and the police turned up, arrested me for "breach of peace" and then processed me and treated me like a criminal when in fact I was very suicidal. Just writing this and thinking about it is horrible and even now just a glimpse of a police officer panics me I was treated disgustingly both times dragged down two flights by the handcuffs they had put on me. It is a big issue which needs attention. I was glad to read that they trialled something that seemed to work. I just hope that they put something permanent in place or at least make it compulsory for all police officers to undertake basic mental health awareness training.
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Jam
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Post by Jam on Sept 21, 2013 20:06:28 GMT
I also watched this, and was quite surprised how often this sort of thing actually happens. I know the police are only trying their best, but when it comes to dealing with people with mental health problems, they really don't have a clue what they are doing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2013 10:08:23 GMT
Like yourself ollie, I now flinch when I hear a siren
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Post by Ollie on Oct 1, 2013 14:56:21 GMT
Awwh Kim *hugs* Its so horrible that this triggers us, especially as the police etc everywhere
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