POLICE OFFICERS SPENT RECORD BREAKING TIME ‘RAMPING’ AT WA HOSPITALS

Credit: Envato Elements

Police officers are spending more time than ever before waiting with patients at WA public hospitals, largely for mental-health related matters, according to a new report.

The WA Police Union released an analysis showing that, from 2021 to 2022, police and prison cars spent over 6,000 hours ‘ramping’ at hospitals, with 40 per cent of these presentations to hospital mental health-related.

WA Police Union Acting President Paul Gale held a press conference yesterday and expressed his concerns about the government’s lack of long-term solutions to the mental health crisis.

“WA has the fastest growing number of mental health presentations by all responders, increasing by nearly 95 per cent over the last ten years,” he said.

“[The figures] are concerning for our wider community, because whilst our police and other first responders are tied up sitting here ramping, they’re not out there doing their specific role, which is policing and serving the community itself.”

Next month, the Police Union will release ‘Code Blue’, its first-ever mental health policy.

Mr Gale said he encourages policy makers to consider the impact of increasing demand for mental health services on the long-term sustainability of both police and hospital systems.

“The big elephant in the room is mental health,” he said. “Any police officer will tell you that we’re spending more time than ever before undertaking welfare checks and conveying mental health patients to hospital.”