A SCHEME run by Dorset Police and the NHS has been held up as a national example of how they should work together.

The force and Dorset HealthCare NHS Foundation Trust were praised in a Lord Bradley’s Report of the Independent Review of People with Mental Health Problems and Learning Difficulties in the Criminal Justice System.

He hailed them as an excellent example of police and health services working together.

He said that they, along with other measures, provided a template which could help reduce re-offending rates across the country.

Lord Bradley’s report found that too many people passed through the system without their mental health needs or learning disabilities being recognised.

But he said that the Dorset scheme was a good example of a police force and the voluntary sector working together to identify mental health needs and help solve the problem.

Commenting on the Dorset Scheme, Lord Bradley said Dorset had taken a holistic view of the entire system including police custody suites, the courts, prisons and secure mental health facilities.

He said: “I visited a number of different schemes up and down the country but the work I saw going on in Dorset was exceptional and I am sure others could learn from it. The Dorset Custody and Liaison Service is a great example of best practice and my report highlights it as a case study.”