Person may need to be restrained to protect self or others. Evidence of, or threats of violence/ breach of peace
The person may be actively resisting his conveyance to hospital, exhibiting self-harming behaviour, engaging in violent behaviour or threatening violence or behaving in a way likely to cause serious physical harm to self and/or others or a breach of the peace has occurred or there is a high risk that this may occur. The ASW should contact NIAS and PSNI to request assistance and should discuss his concerns The ASW and NIAS should consider the risks that may present during the conveyance of the person to hospital and the need for assistance from PSNI given the level of restraint that has or will be required to convey the person to hospital. LINK TO ROLE OF PSNI APPENDIX
Such a request should only be made following a comprehensive assessment of the risk involved and when the result of that assessment is that the presence of police is both proportionate and necessary. Police presence may be requested where the ASW or GP/Medical Practitioner identifies a significant risk of:
Violence or the threat of violence being used against those involved in the conveyance of the patient to hospital or to other persons present e.g. family members ;
and/or
Self harm by the individual who is being conveyed to hospital.
However the PSNI should not be routinely asked to assist in the safe conveyance of a patient to a psychiatric or learning disability hospital. The PSNI will not attend in cases involving a difficult, but non-violent person whose past history and present diagnosis gives no rise for concern for the safety of other agencies of other agencies in the assessment situation.