Mental health workers denied police help after alleged assault, PSA says

Wednesday, 14 January 2026

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Mental health workers allegedly assaulted by a distressed patient were left ignored by police despite multiple calls for help, according to a complaint by the Public Service Association (PSA) following sweeping changes by the Government to mental health callouts.

The incident is being assessed by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) following a complaint from the PSA on behalf of one of its members.

Three 111 emergency calls were placed to police in 90 minutes by a mental health worker in November last year following an alleged assault on two mental health workers.

According to the complaint, when the worker called police, they were not told if they would be assisted and were requested to file an online report about the incident.

Two further calls were placed with the same response from officers.

According to the PSA, staff were denied help a fourth time when they approached officers in a nearby police car, who had shown up to the area to deal with an unrelated event.

Auckland City West area commander and inspector Jacqui Whittaker said when police were contacted about the incident, the health workers had moved away from the address out of immediate danger, and officers were advised the offender had left the area.

Police subsequently located and charged a man with two counts of assault on November 29.

She said follow up inquiries commenced at the time.

“Police will always respond to any report of offending taking place where there is an immediate risk to life or safety.”

The Post has agreed to withhold certain details of the incident including those of the assault to protect the anonymity of the mental health workers involved.

The PSA is calling for a review of the Government’s phased withdrawal of police support from non-emergency mental health callouts.

National secretary Fleur Fitzsimons, who lodged the complaint, said the association had continuously raised concerns that withdrawing police from mental health responses posed an “intolerable” risk to workers and the public.

Mental health callouts reduced

Police made sweeping changes to how they respond to non-emergency mental health callouts in 2024.

Then Police Commissioner Andrew Coster announced that police would respond to mental health callouts only where there was an “immediate risk to life and safety”.

It was a joint effort by police and Health NZ and supported by ministers.

In an effort to free up police resources to divert them back to their core functions, non-emergency events would be redirected to “more appropriate” services“, Coster said.

In the year to May 2024, mental health callouts made up 11% of all 111 calls.

“It has been clear to me for some time that this is simply not sustainable and prevents us from keeping other areas of the community safe,” Coster said at the time.

Phase one of the new system saw mental health transport requests become “subject to a higher threshold before police agree to become involved” and a “streamlined” handover process for voluntary mental health patients.

In April last year, a staggered transition into phase two began, meaning police now leave an hour after taking someone detained under the Mental Health Act to hospital, unless there was an immediate risk to life or safety. Restrictions had also been placed on Act assessments in custody suites.

Phase three began on November 17, 2025, with non-emergency requests assessed against “updated guidance” to determine whether police assistance was required, including reports of missing people with mental health concerns.

Phase four will move towards a 15-minute handover time in hospitals and a shift away from responding to welfare checks where there is no risk of criminality or to life or safety.

PSA voice concerns

Fitzsimons said the incident was exactly what mental health workers had feared since the announcement of the Police’s Mental Response Health Change Programme a year ago.

“We are concerned that the programme is setting a precedent where police are wiping their hands of any callouts relating to mental health, even in emergencies.

“Staff feedback to Health New Zealand and the police was very clear: more mental health workers will be subjected to violence as a result of these changes.”

A PSA survey at the time of mental health staff revealed that 91% of workers believed the changes would increase safety risks for them.

Before the policy change mental health workers had a direct line to police for emergency situations. They were also able to request police assistance ahead of time for transporting patients in crisis or those known to become aggressive.

The PSA represents more than 2000 mental health workers at Health New Zealand.

Emergency response not changing, minister says

Acting Mental Health Minister Simeon Brown said it would be inappropriate to comment while there was a complaint before the IPCA, but Health NZ had been told patient and staff safety was “the top priority” during police changes.

“This is why the approach is phased, with each stage only activated when it is safe to do so,” he said. “Police will always respond to mental health events where there is an immediate risk to life or safety - this has not changed.”

Police Minister Mark Mitchell also declined to comment on the incident, but said police had been clear that they would always respond when there was an offence or an immediate risk to life or safety.

“The Government has been very clear that police are not mental health workers, and a managed transition is taking place where people who need a health response rather than a law enforcement response would receive that.”

He said it had been good to see the work done across Government agencies to try and ensure the correct response and support was provided.

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