New government plans to drive better mental health crisis care

The government has announced new plans that will help to ensure people with mental health problems receive better-quality care during moments of crisis.

A new Crisis Care Concordat has been signed by more than 20 national organisations in a bid to drive up standards of care for people experiencing crises such as suicidal thoughts or significant anxiety. Police, mental health trusts and paramedics will work together on these new plans.

The aim of the concordat is to ensure that health-based places of safety and beds are always available to people undergoing significant problems, rather than current arrangements that often see these individuals being placed in police custody.

Efforts will also be made to improve the efficiency and accessibility of care, while investigating why black and minority ethnic groups are detained more frequently under the Mental Health Act.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said: "We want to build a fairer society – one where mental health is as important as physical health – and the Crisis Care Concordat is an important step towards addressing this disparity."

This comes after Mr Clegg announced a mental health action plan last month, outlining 25 action areas for health and care services that will make a difference to the lives of mental health patients.