Police call monitoring could deny help to people in mental health crisis

Emergency services use SIM programme that embeds officers in clinical teams to manage patients who make repeat calls

Police forces and healthcare providers in different parts of the country are using or planning to resurrect a deeply controversial programme that critics say denies medical care to people having mental health crises.

The plans are detailed in documents obtained by the Observer and Liberty Investigates, and come a year after the private firm running the programme took down its website following an outcry from campaigners.