PSNI to stop attending some welfare calls from Sunday as new care approach begins
Saturday 31 October 2026
Police will no longer attend some calls about a person’s welfare from Sunday 1 November, with callers directed to other agencies where their concerns do not meet the threshold for a police response.
The change is the next phase of Right Care, Right Person, a programme intended to ensure people with health, mental health, social care or safeguarding needs receive help from the service best placed to support them.
PSNI receives more than 35,000 concern-for-welfare calls each year. These can involve physical or mental health, social welfare, safeguarding or fears that someone may be at risk of harm.
Which calls will police attend
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the change would mean police no longer attending some calls concerning a person’s safety.
“Not all welfare concerns require police and stage 2 of RCRP will see PSNI no longer attending those concern for safety calls which do not meet our thresholds; we will instead be signposting to other agencies.”
He stressed that police would retain a role in incidents requiring their intervention.
“However, I want to be very clear, the PSNI are not walking away from all health or mental health incidents. There will continue to be circumstances in which PSNI is the appropriate service to respond, including where a crime has been committed or there is a real and immediate risk to life or serious harm.”
Health services face additional pressures
The approach is intended to retain police involvement where there is a policing purpose, a crime or potential crime, an immediate risk to life or serious harm, or a need for police powers and capabilities. Where health or social care professionals are best placed to respond, the programme aims to direct people towards specialist support.
Health Minister Robbie Butler acknowledged the pressures facing services as the change takes effect.
“This change comes at a time when our health and social care services are facing significant pressures. It is therefore more important than ever that we make the best use of the resources available to us.”
He said his department would continue working with health and social care organisations, police, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and community and voluntary organisations to strengthen care arrangements and oversee implementation.
When to contact police or an ambulance
The guidance accompanying the launch says people should not hesitate to contact police in the following circumstances:
• You know or suspect that a crime has been committed or is likely to be committed.
• There is a risk to life or of serious harm being caused to someone.
• There is concern that significant harm could come to a child or young person.
• Someone is missing.
For an ambulance, the guidance says to call 999 immediately if someone is seriously ill or injured, or in a life-threatening situation.
Other routes to care and support
People experiencing a mental health crisis may receive support through health and social care services. The response will depend on their circumstances, assessed needs and level of risk, and some services vary by area.
The launch guidance identifies these routes to help and information:
• Your GP practice, or GP out-of-hours services using the contact number listed on NI Direct.
• Emergency departments, mental health liaison services, community mental health services, and crisis response and home treatment teams where available.
• Approved Social Workers and, outside normal hours, the Regional Emergency Social Work Service.
• HSC Online for health and social care service information.
• The Public Health Agency’s Minding Your Head website for mental health and wellbeing information, including what to do in a crisis.
• NI Direct’s guidance on how to use your health service.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service may also be involved where clinically appropriate.
Preparing for the change
Planning began in late 2023, with police, health bodies, emergency services and voluntary and community organisations developing an approach reflecting Northern Ireland’s legislation and services. The first phase, a revised Code of Practice to the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, became operational on 1 September.
Ahead of Sunday’s welfare-call changes, PSNI is providing contact management staff with new guidance, a decision-making toolkit and in-person training. Other frontline officers and staff will complete mandatory online training.
The accompanying guidance also encourages people to check in on vulnerable relatives and neighbours where they have welfare concerns. For anyone seeking help from Sunday, the key change is that a call to police may lead to signposting to another service; concerns involving crime, missing people or the risks outlined above should still be brought to police.
