Mental health nurses to provide more assistance to police and courts

Extra funding is to be made available for a new project that will see mental health nurses and other medical professionals working more closely with police stations and courts.

The Department of Health and Home Office have allocated 25 million pounds to financing the project, which will see mental health nurses based at police stations and courts across the country to identify people with mental health and substance misuse problems.

It will help these individuals to get the necessary treatment as soon as possible, reducing the risk of reoffending. Ten areas across the country will be testing out this new model, with plans for a full rollout pencilled in for 2017.

Estimates suggest that the majority of people who end up in prison have a mental health problem, a substance misuse problem or a learning disability.

Care and support minister Norman Lamb said: "Too often, people with mental health illnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system are only diagnosed when they reach prison. We want to help them get the right support and treatment as early as possible."

This comes as part of a wider effort by the government to prioritise mental healthcare. It is also looking to recruit more specialist mental health midwives to provide better support for mothers with postpartum depression.