An on-street assessment by a specialist team has been shown to more than half the number of police detentions under the Mental Health Act and potentially save large health trusts £1 million a year.

Street Triage is a service that comprises a mental health nurse working alongside a dedicated police officer in mobile community units.

The initiative enables the police and the NHS to work collaboratively to make sure an individual gets the best care possible when concerns about their mental state are reported to officers.

Experts at Newcastle University, publishing in BMJ Open, found the annual rate of detentions under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act reduced by 56% in the first year Street Triage was introduced.