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This is the second time that the police have reacted the start date of phase two of the changes. File photo.
Photo: RNZ / RICHARD TINDILLER
Police further launched the start date for the implementation of phase two of their reduction in support for mental health events, after advice from a governance group for the program – which includes representatives of the Ministry of Health, Saúde New Zealand (HNZ) and ambulance agencies.
Phase two will also be staggered among the districts, based on an assessment of their readiness for changes.
This is the second time the police have reacted the start date of phase two of the changes.
The one-year change program was first announced by former police officer Andrew Coster in August 2024 to help alleviate the high demand for mental health outstanding over police resources.
In the initial timeline, phase two was implemented between January and March 2025, bringing two changes:
- Delivered from sixty minutes from the Emergency Department: Police who transported a person detained under the mental health law for an assessment will remain for a maximum of one hour before leaving, unless there is an immediate risk of life or safety.
- Mental health custody rules are tight: police do not consider it to carry out custody suites an appropriate place for mental health assessments to be performed. Custody rules will ensure that people endangered are not unnecessarily evaluated under police custody.
In February – with unions and health workers confused with inconsistencies of launch in different health districts, as well as the timeline – told RNZ that police and HNZ believed that these schedules were “aspirational” and that phase two will begin on March 31.
Several front -line health workers have told RNZ in recent months that they have been concerned about the growing violence over employees by patients and feared that police withdrawal could put workers at risk.
On Tuesday, police announced that the second phase of the program will now begin on April 14, with a phase implementation between the districts.
“Moving the beginning of this phase for two weeks has been recommended by the governance group of the Mental Health Response Program (including police, Ministry of Health, Health NZ and ambulance agencies) to allow the districts to be ready,” a statement said.
Each district was evaluated for its readiness to implement the next phase and, as a result, the districts will have different starting points for the launch, he said.
The districts where phase 2 will begin on April 14 are HNZ’s Waitematā, the Candates of Manukau, Waikato (excluding Tokoroa and Taumarunui), Nelson-Marborough and West Coast districts.
Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson said the security of the police and health team is a priority for the police.
“The police will always answer when there is an offense or immediate risk of life or security and that will not change,” he said.
HNZ’s mental health and dependence director, Karla Bergquist, said several agencies collaborated on how they responded to mental health, including police, HNZ, Ministry of Health, Hato St John and Wellington Free Ambulance.
“At the center of these changes is ensuring that people receive the right mental health care at the right time, and their safety and that of Kaimahi who provide this care is fundamental,” said Bergquist.
“This is why agencies have committed to safely address these changes and work together to make adjustments in implementation deadlines when necessary,” he added.
RNZ reported that hundreds of more health workers were assaulted at work in 2024, according to HNZ data.
About 14,000 aggressions against patients, family members and visitors were registered across the country from two years between January 2023 and December 2024.
A nurse and delegate of the punched union and had a chair thrown at her told RNZ that employees often had to deal with dangerous situations due to security or police delays.
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