To help people who are going through mental health problems, specialist police officers have joined forces with railway colleagues and mental health professionals to provide a British Transport Joint Response service to offer support.

The service has been launched in Greater Manchester as a 12-month pilot.

It is being funded and run by Network Rail in partnership with British Transport Police, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

When a mental health crisis incident is reported anywhere on the rail network in the Greater Manchester area, both a senior mental health practitioner and a British transport officer will attend the incident.

The practitioner will then support and assess the person and decide on what service best suits their needs, such as a local 24/7 crisis helpline, care coordinator, or GP.

The scheme aims to make sure people going through a mental health crisis can access the appropriate support in the right place.

All community-based care options will be considered before A&E or admission to a hospital-based place of safety.

Similar schemes have already helped thousands of people, including joint response services run by Pennine Care, Greater Manchester Mental Health, and Greater Manchester Police, and one in Liverpool run by Network Rail and British Transport Police.

The service will help recovery by ensuring the person has a positive experience while maintaining their dignity and liberty. It is not intended to be a shortcut to getting mental health support but will make better best use of officers’ and NHS professionals’ time.

It will currently run five days a week, covering mainly an extended Greater Manchester area, but if anyone needs mental health support in an emergency the quickest way is to attend A&E or phone their borough’s crisis mental health helpline

Last year, TransPennine Express decorated one of its trains with a wrap that raises awareness of men’s mental health.

Michelle Black, route crime and security manager for Network Rail said: We’re proud to be working with our partners to help keep people safe.

“The rail network connects communities, so we’re in a unique position to support vulnerable people in times of crisis. We’re confident this partnership will help fulfil our goal of ensuring everyone gets home safely, every day.”

Chief Inspector James Mitchell, from the British Transport Police, said: “This is a perfect example of how partnership working can enhance and improve the way we respond to people in crisis. Working with partners allows us to pool our resources and deliver the best, most effective, and efficient care.”

Danielle Stephenson, senior mental health practitioner for Pennine Care said, “It was great to head out on our first shift yesterday. This is more than a job for me. I feel privileged to be able to help people who are at their most vulnerable and set them on the right road to a happier and more hopeful future.”

Thomas Walker, operational manager at Greater Manchester Mental Health, added: “This type of support can be lifesaving, a pivotal moment in someone’s recovery journey; and we are very pleased to offer it to Greater Manchester’s communities.”