Provision to ensure the mental health care of people taken into police custody is to be reviewed.

Health and Social Care Minister Kate Beecroft said her department had been in talks with the Department of Home Affairs to address the issue of ’limited specialist provision to those people with mental health issues in all custody settings’.

A ’forensic mental health pathway’ had been drawn up and was under consideration, she said.

Mrs Beecroft was responding to a House of Keys question from Julie Edge (LibVannin, Onchan), who wanted to know when specialist help would be introduced.

The minister said the mental health service provided an assessment for people in police custody.

’We have one specialist worker who is the criminal justice liaison lead during working hours,’ she said.

’Outside these hours there is a forensic medical examiner service, which is funded through the Department of Home Affairs and the Crisis and Home Treatment team, funded by my department which deals with any emergency issues by providing assessment on the hospital site. An out-of-hours social worker is also available.’

The police had to transport the person to the hospital for assessment, she said.

’The out-of-hours provision was implemented in 2016, in order to relieve the pressure on the police, who were holding individuals in police custody awaiting working-hours interventions,’ Mrs Beecroft added in her written answer.

’The only other available service for assessment whilst in police custody is access to the out-of-hours psychiatrist.’