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Launched by Norman Lamb MP this morning, the agreement – the Crisis care concordat – aims to drive up standards of care for people experiencing a crisis.

Signed by more than 20 national organisations – including the NHS Confederation's Mental Health Network (MHN) on behalf of its members, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Royal College of Psychiatrists – the concordat will help cut the numbers of people detained inappropriately in police cells and bring an end to the variation in standards across the country, the Department of Health said.

It sets out the standards of care people should expect if they suffer a mental health crisis (such as suicidal thoughts or significant anxiety), and details how emergency services should respond.

The Mental Health Network has produced a briefing which provides a summary of the key principles and commitments in the concordat and highlights how stronger local partnerships can work together to deliver improved crisis care.

Challenge to local services

The concordat challenges local services to make sure beds are always available for people who need them urgently and is clear that police custody should never be used just because mental health services are not available.

It also stipulates that police vehicles should not be used to transfer patients between hospitals and encourages services to improve sharing essential information about patients .

The Crisis care concordat also challenges local areas to make sure that:

• Timescales are put in place so police responding to mental health crisis know how long they have to wait for a response from health and social care workers.
• Figures suggest some black and minority ethnic groups are detained more frequently under the Mental Health Act. Where this is the case, it must be addressed by local services working with local communities so that the standards set out in the Concordat are met.
• A 24-hour helpline should be available for people with mental health problems and the crisis resolution team should be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Improving access

Commenting on the concordat, Mental Health Network chief executive, Stephen Dalton said: "There is already a great deal of work underway in organisations right across the health sector to prevent mental health crises occurring and escalating, with clear plans for even closer working between partners to improve access to services and to meet local, individual needs.

"But the very nature of a mental health crisis means that a very vulnerable person needs a fast, individual, joined-up response.

Clear commitment

"This is where the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat can really make a difference, as it sets out the clear commitment of all those involved in the mental health sector to improve support for people before, during and after a crisis.

'Not just a piece of paper'

"It is not just a piece of paper; it's a pledge to make things better in practice, and the NHS Confederation's Mental Health Network is proud to have signed it on behalf of all our members."

Mr Dalton added that the network is pleased the police and the Royal College of GPs are reviewing their training programmes to improve understanding of mental health problems and to develop and deliver improved services.

'Irreversible crisis'

"But all the will, awareness and training in the world won't translate into real improvements in crisis care unless mental health is finally and genuinely put on a par with physical health," he warned. 

"It is critical that the Government's and NHS's commitment to address long-term under-funding of mental health services is delivered on, before the sector experiences an irreversible crisis itself."

Find out more

Download the Mental Health Network's summary of the concordat and access the full agreement from the Department of Health website.

Find out more about the Mental Health Network and its work to support members.