The project team included Tony Lloyd the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Karen Maneely of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, Melita Worswick of Greater Manchester Police, Dr Tina Greenhough of Tameside and Glossop CCG. The project also involved North West Ambulance Service.

The team established a Street Triage scheme in which police officers and paramedics attending an incident have 24/7 access to an advice line staffed by mental health professionals. A specialist mental health nurse attends the incident and coordinates the specialist mental health support required. The service is supported by shared information systems.

The change was piloted using a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle and model for improvement. The model identified a feature to be improved (management of s.136 Mental Health Act 1983 presentations), a change mechanism, criteria for assessment of change and improvement, and a commitment to use the evaluation as a basis for learning and wider implementation. The inclusion of an independent evaluation helped to develop the criteria for change and provided material for reflection and learning.

98% reduction, year on year, in the number of mentally unwell people taken to the police station in 2013-14 compared to the national reduction of 24% 

Oldham - a 60% reduction in the number of people detained under the Mental Health Act, after being taken to a Place of Safety under Section 136, between December 2013 and May 2014

Police officers highly value the scheme and say it has significantly reduced police time dealing with mental health related calls

Bury and Rochdale - during November 2014, Street Triage received 176 calls and the Street Triage practitioner deflected care away from A&E departments in 52 cases.