Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:43 pm on 14 September 2021.
Thank you. Again, you raise a very important point and, as you say, we've worked very closely with the NHS and also with the police and other organisations to try and understand the needs of individuals at that point of crisis that you referred to. Most individuals in those circumstances do need a multi-agency response, rather than a specific or a specialist mental health service. So, we will continue to work with our partners in relation to that multi-agency approach and make sure that that pathway is there, and, as part of that commitment, we have committed £6 million this year to support crisis care. That does include the roll-out of the mental health single point of contact, and you mentioned the pilot work that is being undertaken. It's also really important, I think, to improve response times for those crisis situations, and also reduce the need for other forms of transport, and I know from back in the day when I was health Minister that the use of police vehicles is not appropriate for many of these cases. So, I think it's really important that we reduce the need for those other forms of transport. So, we will continue to work with the NHS, with the police and other organisations.