A TRAIL-BLAZING Welsh scheme which cares for those in mental distress during police incidents helped more than 80 vulnerable people with face-to-face support in its first six months.

More than 180 with similar issues were given valuable advice and guidance by phone and other methods.

The service, which sees Dyfed-Powys Police officers and Hywel Dda University Health Board personnel work side-by-side, ensures those suffering mental health distress get the right attention.

It means fewer trips to police cells for vulnerable individuals with a mental illness - and significant savings for public services.

The progress of the Dyfed-Powys Street Triage, now nearing the end of its pilot year, has been followed by others.

On December 10, the Welsh Government plans to unveil a national concordat on how organisations will best work together to ensure people get the help they need during a mental health crisis. A similar concordat exists in England.

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon, who backed the pioneering west Wales scheme by funding the purchase of an unmarked consultation van, said: “I raised this issue with Welsh Government two years ago and I’m glad that our police force and Hywel Dda have led the way.

“I’m delighted that a year after we launched our triage scheme the forthcoming Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat will recognise the importance of treating mental illness as a health issue, not a police one."

See next week’s south editions for the full story