Right Care Right Person: Why the Met will no longer respond to health emergencies
The young police officer had barely started his shift when the first job came through the car radio.
Concerns had been raised about a vulnerable cancer patient suffering from depression who had missed two important hospital appointments, and the police had been asked to perform a welfare check.
PC Liam Cross had very little detail from the call handler. The first address turned out to be wrong.
At the second address, worried neighbours told the police officers they had not seen the man for five weeks.
PC Liam Cross of the Metropolitan Police
Officers from the Metropolitan Police attend a mental health call
But, they added, he did travel abroad regularly to see his family.
After a call to the patient’s doctor the police decide there is nothing more they can do.
“It’s more than likely that he is away on holiday,” PC Cross explains.
“From just speaking with the doctors there, they’re going to follow up next week, give a further phone call, monitor when he next picks up his medication, because he has got enough at the minute.”
The inconclusive search for the missing patient has taken two hours.
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There will be another ten health emergencies called in to PC Cross and his colleagues in this part of north London before his 12-hour shift is over.
Sometimes they can spend the entire day responding to mental health emergencies.
An entire shift can be spent waiting with a patient in a hospital’s emergency department.
It is one of main reasons why the Metropolitan Police will stop responding to health emergencies from 1 November.
Thousands of police hours will be reclaimed allowing officers to spend more time policing London’s streets. But they insist they will still respond to the most serious emergencies.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist is the London force’s lead on implementing the Right Care Right Person policy.
He told Sky News: “Where there is a risk to life, where a crime has been committed, or where there’s a risk to breach the peace, the police will always still attend.
“Where it’s purely a health care issue, where we are not the best people to attend, we would want the best people to attend, which are healthcare professionals.”
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist
Mental health experts largely agree.
Sending uniformed officers to deal with someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis can often exacerbate the situation.
And police officers are not trained mental health experts.
The NHS denies this change has been forced on them by Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who set today’s deadline.
The health service says it has been working very closely with the Met to ensure a smooth transition. But it also stresses that the change must be phased and gradual.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. File pic
The police will be supported by a new 24/7 advice service for police officers to seek guidance from mental health specialists when they attend an incident before they decide to detain an individual under section 136.
The NHS says its own data shows that some eight in 10 people who are sectioned in London would benefit from community support rather than a hospital admission.
Martin Machray, Director of Performance, NHS London said: “Today, what we see is the introduction of a shared telephone number where we can give advice to the police about what to do if they feel they’ve got a person in front of them with a mental health crisis.
“That doesn’t mean always putting handcuffs on them and taking them to an A&E department.”
Despite the assurances from the police and the NHS, there are real fears that vulnerable people will be left exposed and at risk of harm when the police withdraw their response service.
These concerns come at a time when mental health services are at breaking point and the NHS faces up to the pressure and challenges of another difficult winter.
“There is concern that that isn’t going to be properly funded,” warned Brian Dow, the deputy chief executive of charity Rethink Mental Illness.
He told Sky News: “There are still some people, notably those people who are feeling at risk of suicide and who go missing, that the police won’t be called out to.
“And that is a concern because those are the very most vulnerable people who could fall through the cracks.”
Fresh appeals have been made for information on what would have been the 20th birthday of Ellis Cox, who was shot dead in Liverpool last June.
A number of people have been arrested in connection with the murder at Liver Industrial Estate, but no one has been charged yet.
The 19-year-old’s family and police have paid tribute to him and called for those with information to come forward.
He was shot in the back after a confrontation between his friends and another group of up to three males on Sunday 23 June.
Ellis Cox who was shot dead in June 2024. Pic: Merseyside Police
His mother Carolyn paid tribute in an appeal to coincide with what would have been his 20th birthday.
“He was so kind… so laid back, so calm, so mature for his age. And he was just funny. Very funny.
“He was my baby… no mum should have to bury a child. He was my life. And I don’t know what to do without him.”
Mum Carolyn Cox (left) and aunt Julie O’Toole (right) are looking for answers
Ellis’ mum described him as ‘kind” and “funny. Pic: Merseyside Police
Meanwhile, his aunt Julie O’Toole said he was “the sort of person I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone to say anything negative about. He was loyal, fiercely loyal… everything was about his family”.
To pay tribute to Ellis, Liverpool City Council will be lighting up the Cunard Building and Liverpool Town Hall in orange on Saturday.
DCI Steve McGrath does not believe Ellis was involved in criminality
Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath, the senior investigating officer, spoke about the information gathered so far, six months on from Mr Cox’s murder.
“I’m satisfied that the group that he was with was probably the target… and I would say that’s got something in relation to do with localised drug dealing in that area. But Ellis had no involvement in that whatsoever,” he said.
He added that police are looking for “really significant pieces of evidence now”, including “trying to recover the firearm that was used in relation to this, looking to recover the bikes that were used by the offenders”.
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Mrs Cox also appealed for people to come forward with information.
“If you know anything, don’t let us get to [his] next birthday and still know nothing.
“We need to get justice for Ellis. And we need to get the people who took him from us off the streets.”
Former Manchester United and Scotland footballer Denis Law has died, at the age of 84.
In a statement, his family said: “It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle, but finally, he is now at peace.
“We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently.
“We know how much people supported and loved him and that love was always appreciated and made the difference.”
Denis Law in 2005. Pic: PA
The Aberdeen-born footballer previously announced in August 2021 that he had been diagnosed with dementia.
A prolific striker, Law scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for Manchester United, for whom he signed for a then-British record transfer fee in 1962.
He is the only man to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford – one on the Stretford End concourse, the other as part of the United Trinity statue overlooking the stadium’s forecourt beside fellow great George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Denis Law, third from left, as a statue featuring him alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best – known as the ‘holy trinity’ – was unveiled in 2008. Pic: AP
The only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d’Or award, in 1964, he was also part of United’s triumphant campaign in the 1968 European Cup – in which they became the first English club to ever win the competition.
In a statement, the club said: “Everyone at Manchester United is mourning the loss of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, who has passed away, aged 84.
“He will always be celebrated as one of the club’s greatest and most beloved players.
Denis Law, centre, during Manchester United’s triumphant European Cup campaign in 1968. Pic: AP
“The ultimate goalscorer, his flair, spirit and love for the game made him the hero of a generation. Our deepest condolences go out to Denis’s family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more.”
Wayne Rooney, former United captain and the club’s all-time record goalscorer, described Law as a “legend”.
“Thoughts with all Denis’s family and friends,” he said in an online post.
Another former United captain, Gary Neville, said: “A great footballer and a great man. It’s a privilege and an honour to have spent time in your company. The King of the Stretford End.”
A tribute from the Scotland national team said Law was “a true great”.
“We will not see his likes again,” it said.
Law also played for Huddersfield Town, Manchester City, and Italian club Torino during his club career, and made 55 appearances for Scotland, scoring 30 goals for his country.
Manchester City said in a post on X: “The whole of Manchester, including everyone at City, is mourning with you. Rest in peace, Denis.”
The UK’s benchmark stock index has reached another record high.
The FTSE 100 index of most valuable companies on the London Stock Exchange closed at 8,505.69, breaking the record set last May.
It had already broken its intraday high at 8532.58 on Friday afternoon, meaning it reached a high not seen before during trading hours.
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The weakened pound has boosted many of the 100 companies forming the top-flight index.
Why is this happening?
Most are not based in the UK, so a less valuable pound means their sterling-priced shares are cheaper to buy for people using other currencies, typically US dollars.
This makes the shares better value, prompting more to be bought. This greater demand has brought up the prices and the FTSE 100.
The pound has been hovering below $1.22 for much of Friday. It’s steadily fallen from being worth $1.34 in late September.
Also spurring the new record are market expectations for more interest rate cuts in 2025, something which would make borrowing cheaper and likely kickstart spending.
What is the FTSE 100?
The index is made up of many mining and international oil and gas companies, as well as household name UK banks and supermarkets.
Familiar to a UK audience are lenders such as Barclays, Natwest, HSBC and Lloyds and supermarket chains Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s.
Other well-known names include Rolls-Royce, Unilever, easyJet, BT Group and Next.
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FTSE stands for Financial Times Stock Exchange.
If a company’s share price drops significantly it can slip outside of the FTSE 100 and into the larger and more UK-based FTSE 250 index.
The inverse works for the FTSE 250 companies, the 101st to 250th most valuable firms on the London Stock Exchange. If their share price rises significantly they could move into the FTSE 100.
A good close for markets
It’s a good end of the week for markets, entirely reversing the rise in borrowing costs that plagued Chancellor Rachel Reeves for the past ten days.
Fears of long-lasting high borrowing costs drove speculation she would have to cut spending to meet self-imposed fiscal rules to balance the budget and bring down debt by 2030.
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They Treasury tries to calm market nerves late last week
Long-term government borrowing had reached a high not seen since 1998 while the benchmark 10-year cost of government borrowing, as measured by 10-year gilt yields, was at levels last seen around the 2008 financial crisis.
The gilt yield is effectively the interest rate investors demand to lend money to the UK government.
Only the pound has yet to recover the losses incurred during the market turbulence. Without that dropped price, however, the FTSE 100 record may not have happened.
Also acting to reduce sterling value is the chance of more interest rates. Currencies tend to weaken when interest rates are cut.
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