THE number of people in need of urgent mental health treatment detained under the Mental Health Act in Herefordshire over the last two years has been revealed.

Figures obtained by the Hereford Times via Freedom of Information request show that, in most cases, detained people had to be transported in police vehicles because of long ambulance waiting times or risks associated with behaviour.

The vast majority of these people were then kept in a health-based place of safety during their detention, with just one person being held in police custody.

The figures show 153 detentions were carried out by police in Herefordshire in 2022 and 2023.

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Police detain people under the Mental Health Act, or "section" them, when they need urgent treatment for a mental health disorder and are at risk of causing harm to themselves or others.

When they are detained, they may receive urgent treatment without their consent.

NHS information says: "In most cases when people are treated in a mental health facility, they have agreed or volunteered to be there. They may be referred to as a voluntary patient. But there are cases when a person can be detained, also known as sectioned.

"The Mental Health Act is structured in sections. If someone says "You're being sectioned under the Mental Health Act", they mean you're detained according to a particular section."

Campaigners have been pushing for a reform to the Mental Health Act for many years, saying it is outdated and should be tackled by the Government.

The mental health charity Mind is one organisation calling for change. It says people should have more rights, choices and control while they are detained.

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The charity says it has been pushing for reform for years and cannot wait any longer.

"It [the act] doesn't work for young people, inappropriately put in adult wards, restrained and ignored," Mind said.

"When they get back to communities, community support orders don't work.

"It's unfair on deprived areas. People living in deprived areas are more than three and a half times more likely to be detained than those in the least deprived areas.

"Black people are four times more likely to be detained under the Act than white people."

Although racial disparities have been reported in Mental Health Act detentions across the UK, most of the people detained in Herefordshire were identified as white.