A NEW scheme has been launched to help people with mental health issues on the streets of York and Selby.

The Street Triage Scheme, which will cost about £200,000 to run for the first 12 months, will see York-based mental health professionals monitor police radios and join officers at incidents where they feel they can be of use.

The scheme was set up by the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, North Yorkshire Police and the NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), with funding from North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council.

Adrian Elsworth, clinical lead at the Foundation Trust, said: "Police officers don't have the same training as mental health nurses therefore, if faced with mental health crisis and we are there to support them, we can look at alternative avenues of support.

"If we feel someone can safely go home we can speak to our colleagues and partners and arrange a full mental health assessment with the triage team to take place at what we feel is the best location."

About 100 people have been taken into the mental health 'place of safety' at Bootham Park Hospital since its launch six months ago, but police and the NHS partners said this may not always be the best solution, and each case should be considered separately.

Jill Copeland, chief operating officer at the Trust, said: "A lot of people have mental health problems and a number of them do get picked up by police so it's very important they get access to the proper mental health assistance as soon as possible.

"The project has run a successful pilot in Leeds, and we have found a lot of people can be assessed and treated where they are in their own homes, and avoiding as many people coming into the place of safety as possible."

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick said: "Not only will the Street Triage scheme provide vital intervention and the most appropriate care for vulnerable people, it will also free up more of our officers’ time, enabling them to return to policing their neighbourhoods."