Dorset residents suffering a mental health crisis often end up being dealt with by uniformed police officers – rather than mental health specialists.

The county's Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick, says the situation is "less than ideal" and needs to change.

He says that, while police officers will always do their best in such circumstances, individuals would be better served by an expert response that police officers are not trained to deliver.

"Not only does this let down the individuals experiencing a mental health crisis; their family and friends; but also police officers and (police) staff on whom we place an unnecessary and unfair burden," said the commissioner.

Mr Sidwick said that, inevitably, there will be situations where people are seen to have been failed – including deaths in custody, people being released and then re-admitted from custody only hours later, and people being taken to hospital in a police vehicle rather than in an ambulance with specialists staff to care for them.

"All of these, unfortunately are common occurrences the length and breadth of this country," he added.

Speaking at a recent Dorset Police and Crime Panel meeting, the commissioner continued: "For many years now, policing has sought to pick up the pieces of a lack of specialist mental health services… at some point a line in the sand has to be drawn.

"There must be improved multi-agency and partnership responses to mental health related incidents and that the public will receive a better service."

Mr Sidwick said that although there were approaches being explored elsewhere in the country most forces, including Dorset, were awaiting new national guidance, which he said was expected soon.

The commissioner said that an inspection visit to Dorset custody suites, published in May, had noted that the force and mental health services do not have good enough arrangements to deal with people with mental ill-health.

He said the report noted: "Front line officers called to incidents in public places cannot always get the support they need from mental health professionals. This potentially leads to people being detailed under the Mental Health Act when other, more appropriate, solutions may have been available."

Mr Sidwick said the report also noted that those detained often waited too long, while in custody, for a mental health assessment with further delays before they are transferred to a mental health facility.

He pointed out that the report said there was no monitoring of the situation to see how the needs of people with mental health were being met and "little joint work to improve outcomes for them".

He said that he was clear that Dorset residents and the Police Force itself wanted police officers to crime fighters and that a new approach of "right care, right person" for those suffering a mental health crisis needed to be adopted.