A partnership between NHS 24, Police Scotland, and the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) is streamlining how patients receive mental health support in Scotland.

The Mental Health Pathway ensures that people seeking urgent mental health support are directed to the most appropriate service for their needs.

Patients contacting 999 with non-emergency mental health concerns are now routinely referred to the NHS24 Mental Health Hub.

The hub is available 24/7 by calling 111 and selecting the mental health option.

The collaboration helps patients, but also allows police and ambulance staff to focus on their core roles. Data from Police Scotland shows that officer hours were redirected to core policing and 99 per cent of staff confirmed they felt confident making referrals and using the Mental Health Pathway following their training.

Dr. Ron Cook, NHS 24’s medical director said: “It is imperative that anyone in mental health crisis or distress can quickly and easily connect with professionals who are experts in that field. Within office hours, patients seeking help with their mental health should contact their own GP. However, during the out of hours period, such as evenings and weekends, it is common for patients to be unsure of where to access mental health support. Many will often reach out for help by dialling 999, which may not be the most appropriate care route for them.

“The Mental Health Pathway was set up to streamline the process for anyone needing urgent assistance with their mental health, and aims to make all callers feel supported, understood, and cared for. This project has led to a better experience for individuals experiencing mental illness or distress, but also has the added impact of reducing the deployment of frontline services in non-emergencies and easing the demand on emergency services.”

Catherine Totten, head of service for mental health and dementia at the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) said: “SAS supports people in mental health crisis and distress 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, and we are committed to improving the outcomes and experience for these service users.

“The Mental Health Pathway allows us to directly transfer non-emergency callers to mental health trained clinicians in the NHS 24 mental health hub, ensuring those in crisis receive the right care at the right time.

“It’s a welcome addition to existing services, such as local care pathways and the Mental Health Paramedic Response Units in Glasgow, Dundee and Inverness, and we look forward to further developing this important resource with NHS 24 and Police Scotland.”