Police need to do things differently on mental health calls, MSPs told

The police need to “do things differently” on mental health callouts, the body representing rank-and-file officers has said.

Speaking at Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday, Scottish Police Federation (SPF) chairman David Threadgold said between 60% and 80% of Police Scotland’s operational capacity is being drained by dealing with mental health calls.

According to Police Scotland, officers were called to 14,500 mental health incidents every month in 2025, with 85% not involving a crime.

In one case, Mr Threadgold told MSPs that two officers were forced to stay with a woman struggling with her mental health for four days before eventually driving her to Northumberland.

“We have got to start to do things differently in the police, because there is no prospect, in my opinion, of this broad situation changing any time soon,” he said.

“If we don’t we will just continue to have this discussion in three years’ time as we did three years ago when I started this job.

“It impacts on our ability to do what we’re good at and it impacts on the health of colleagues who suffer the consequences.”

Mr Threadgold went on to say that policing had “become the default” service to be called on when the health service cannot deal with mental health issues.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton also appeared before the committee, telling MSPs that policing should “have a role” in relation to mental health, but officers should be allowed to “step back” when any threat to life is over.

“It remains that there is still a significant proportion where officers are attending and they are not best placed to either attend, and/or remain with individuals without it impacting and being a deviation on our core purpose,” she said.

“When the crisis is over, we need to be able to return to that, our Chief Constable has also been clear we cannot continue to fill the gaps.”

While acknowledging there had been improvements, Ms Paton added: “Much more needs to be done.

“And, again, that more needs to be that recognition that if we agree it’s not police, then what are we doing in terms of filling the gap?”

Stephen Gallacher, director of mental health at the Scottish Government, also spoke to MSPs, telling them “progress has been achieved in a number of areas”.

He said: “I’m pleased that this has been achieved through collaborative work of the mental health partnership delivery group to improve our emergency and unscheduled care mental health pathways.

“Mental health service reform is a priority for me and the mental health directorate, and working collaboratively to make sure people in distress receive the right support in the right place at the right time, and tackling unnecessary demand on policing, is a critical part of this.”