NEW BLOG - "Supervised Discharge" A new legal mechanism, introduced in the Mental Health Act 2025 and in effect since February, is "supervised discharge". Advice around this going awry is "call the police" - see new post for details! mentalhealthcop.com/2026/04/08/s...

Lovely eMail from an officer who used my blog to find a weird "Community Treatment Order" answer - "Thanks to you my tissue thin veneer of appearing competent is intact for another day!" That's *exactly* who the blog was for: frontline police officers - www.mentalhealthcop.com

NEW BLOG - "Have You Heard of RAVE?!" Another way to look at a threshold for police involvement - Resistance, Aggression, Violence or Escape. I was recently asked if I'd heard of my own idea. 😂 mentalhealthcop.com/2026/04/01/h...

NEW BLOG - "Have You Heard of RAVE?!" Another way to look at a threshold for police involvement - Resistance, Aggression, Violence or Escape. I was recently asked if I'd heard of my own idea. 😂 mentalhealthcop.com/2026/04/01/h...

"Is psychiatry’s focus on race stats linked to Nottingham attacks?" Swaran Singh became 'persona non grata' with his professional college for his work on race and mental health. This article is very interesting (£) www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcar...

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - Police and ambulance attend a patient who has taken an overdose and assess that he has capacity to decline medical care - he subsequently died. "What can frontline crews actually do?", the Coroner asks. www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

NEW BLOG - "Warrants Attention" On the issue of whether earlier execution of the VC arrest warrant would have made any difference. Spoiler: it's hardly the point. #NottinghamInquiry mentalhealthcop.com/2026/03/25/w...

At the Midlands Art Centre today, next to Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham - delivering CPD for psychiatrists and looking forward to a good afternoon. I was a sergeant in this area - wish I could go places without remembering the murders and other badness! Spoils a lovely day!

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - Ambulance and not police related, but could easily be a situation in to which the police are drawn so worth reading. All about crisis response in private dwellings, the MCA versus the MHA and helping people. www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

A commentary piece on Right Care, Right Person with Claire Warrington and Carolina Campodonico after the @glepha.bsky.social conference in Ottawa last year - discussion to be continued at the eighth edition in Leeds in September. Published in the @JournalCSWB - www.journalcswb.ca/index.php/cs...

Should be a very interesting day at the #NottinghamInquiry — Chief Constable Kate Meynell, in her final act before retirement, is giving evidence.

NEW BLOG - "The Fundamental Contradiction" So was MHA assessment for VC not required, or was it to do with NHS access criteria for the service he may well need?! It can't be both - if he doesn't need assessment, you don't need a bed. #NottinghamInquiry mentalhealthcop.com/2026/03/18/t...

Blog written after today's #NottinghamInquiry - we heard why no MHA was done but there's a contradiction - a) it wasn't needed; but also b) they couldn't access the correct type of bed given the risk. But you don't need a bed if he doesn't need to be assessed. Out tomorrow.

Greater acuity in Northern Ireland than in the UK as a whole, lower MH funding, greater political obstacles to fixing problems - 25% of consultant psychiatry posts are 'effectively' unfilled. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATH REPORT — Inquest no 26 to mention #RCRP, PFD no 21. “Communications challenges have increased since the introduction of the Right Care, Right Person policy.” www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

I notice "Right Care, Right Person" has come up at the #NottinghamInquiry with the Chief Constable of Leicestershire's evidence. THIS. IS. IRRELEVANT - and I knew it would come up. EVERY contact with VC we've heard about involves CRIME or warrants the police must execute.

NEW BLOG - "No Warrant, No Police" Another piece of folklore from policing & mental health, which has already caused serious untoward outcomes but yet still will not go away. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/03/11/n...

NHS orders 274 patients be removed from from crisis-hit hospital. And by "crisis", they euphemistically mean "criminal investigations galore". Difficult sometimes to find one MHA bed - can't wait to see how they try to find almost 300 all at once. www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...

Listed for trial in September 2028, TWO AND A HALF YEARS from now! Things have changed a lot since the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet days when Barry Taylor complained justice in the West Midlands was "swift and merciless"! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Questions to an officer about the importance of following a police force's MH policy and procedure. It's worth noting: Many forces have policies / procedures on MH which aren't great and could get officers in to professional difficulty. Inquests show this. #NottinghamInquiry

This article is bouncing around police social media to a 'round of applause. It's almost as if the kinds of over-simplified ideas within it are not being played out and tested in a public inquiry where people died, isn't it? Such attitudes and such outcomes are related - 1/

Slightly weird point to make the day after events in Edinburgh point out there is often no practical distinction between "mental health" and "crime". The Chief calls for focus on threat, risk and harm as if MH is no part of that. www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottis...

NEW BLOG - "Equality Impact Assessment" I often thought EIAs were tick-box exercises and this example on RCRP from the Met does little to change my view on that. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/03/04/e...

NEW BLOG - “Structural Risk” Some thoughts after week one of the #NottinghamInquiry. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/02/27/s...

Yesterday's evidence at the #NottinghamInquiry was essentially about considerations for 'diversion' from the criminal justice system for mentally disordered offenders. When should it happen / what considerations should and do influence the decision. Short thread - 1/

Anyone listen to the police evidence at the Nottingham Inquiry today? It was a lesson in how a lack of leadership, training and professional responsibility produces a wilful ignorance that builds risk of untoward events in to the system. And RCRP makes things like this more, not less likely.

"Police accused of covering up failings over Nottingham attack." Questions to the inquiry by Tim Moloney KC for the victims were legitimate, targeted and insightful. I'm looking forward to hearing the explanations for the various things I have listed I want to know about.

Only day two of the Nottingham Inquiry and I'm having to add to the already long list of questions I have about the policing response & investigation. No armed response / no blood sample taken / no MH or MHA assessment in custody / records lost ... it goes on.

NEW BLOG - "The Nottingham Inquiry" The public inquiry opened yesterday in London and inquiry counsel, Rachel Langdale KC set out the context and scope of what will follow over months. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/02/24/t...

If you wish to watch the evidence in the Nottingham Inquiry, there is a specific YouTube channel and the inquiry has committed to live-streaming and uploading each day's evidence by the following working day - www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV-W...

It's day one of the inquiry and I'm already furious to hear how such non-legal considerations influenced decisions about serious offences prior to the 2023 killings. It's almost as if the DR and the police hadn't read the 2019 CPS guidance on suspects and defendants, isn't it?!

The Nottingham inquiry has been told Valdo Calocane "did not have capacity to be considered responsible" for an allegation in 2020. Makes as much sense as saying "condition orange" and is why the police should be wary taking legal views from doctors. www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

This is Right Care, Right Person inquest no 23 in my PhD research, and PFD no 20. 14 other deaths yet to reach inquest and 2 inquests I'm yet to fully identify. This is the sixth inquest / PFD for the @gmpolice.bsky.social area and the PFD is published after the date for a response.

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - Andrew Hughes in the @gmpolice.bsky.social area. This report doesn't even get close to covering the obvious questions I have arising from the RCRP decision-making. www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

The Nottingham public inquiry begins in London today - A "test of whether this country is prepared to confront failure and fix it. - Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The four page report from @VP_Centre on Mental Health and Routine Police Work. Some quotes from the report - "Right Care, Right Person has legitimised some police withdrawal from mental health calls, increasing officer hesitation to engage." 1/ vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/wp-content/u...

I'm as surprised as anyone to find I was awarded a DISTINCTION for this assignment. No false modesty: written in haste, with loads going on around me, felt like I had more to say, but time and space prevented it, just didn't "feel" right. But you know what? - I'LL TAKE IT!

They told us on Monday that our research methods module assignment marks will be published at 12pm today — Haven’t been able to do a damned thing all morning and have chewed off half my fist already.

NEW BLOG - "The Core Business of Policing". How could mental health ever not be a "core" part of policing? It always will be. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/02/18/t...

Patients complain of ‘culture of abuse’ as fifteen hospital staff arrested — www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Meet the man helping families ahead of the Nottingham attacks inquiry - @hundredfamilies.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - Police related, MH related but the thing leaping off the page to me here is the ambulance service "matters of concern". Made me think of the Leon Briggs inquest which said a lot about paramedic ABD training. www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - Here's a new PFD notice about why the police using "suicidal ideation" might not be the best idea, leading to a man's death - www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

Canada suspect had police visits over mental health struggles and was detained by the police under the Mental Health Act more than once. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - “The Defence of Illegality” A truly unique case in British legal history: can a man found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity being a civil action against agencies he believed negligently failed him? mentalhealthcop.com/2026/02/11/t...

Violence against NHS staff now around 100,000 times a year. I re-read an old, 2015 blog recently where I'd mentioned around 67,000 assaults each year - and worth remembering c67-70% of those attacks are in the MH sector of the NHS. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

NEW BLOG - "Andrew McCleary" Sometimes I read official things from organisations and just shake my head. What on EARTH are they on about here? mentalhealthcop.com/2026/02/04/a...

NEW BLOG - "White Paper - Police Reform". Mental health is their number one example of stuff the police shouldn't be doing to clear the way for "core business". I just shook my head and put the kettle on, to be honest. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/01/28/w...

"Colchester Mayor says he will accuse the police of negligence" after the death of his brother. Essex Police response to criticism for non-response is predicted on "Right Care, Right Person". www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/2578754...

NEW BLOG - "White Paper - Police Reform". Mental health is their number one example of stuff the police shouldn't be doing to clear the way for "core business". I just shook my head and put the kettle on, to be honest. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/01/28/w...