64 ER visits averted thanks to WPS nurse-police team
The Windsor Police Service says its new Nurse Police Team (NPT) has handled 127 supports for service in its first five weeks of operation.
The NPT, which pairs nursing professionals from Windsor Regional Hospital with frontline police officers, aims to offer proactive care to those struggling with substance use disorders.
During its first five weeks, the team has handled 127 supports for service, offering on-site clinical assessments, and 116 referrals to appropriate community resources. Police say 64 emergency room visits were averted as a result.
Between Windsor Regional Hospital’s Met and Ouellette Campuses, about 7,000 mental health and substance use patients are seen at the emergency departments each year, but officials say not every patient requires emergency room services.
In it's first weekend, the NPT pilot program recorded 25 interactions.
Officer-nurse teams will continue working on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. The program will run for the next three months, at which time it will be evaluated for further continuation.
Here are some more stats from the program's first five weeks in action:
Nurse Police Team (NPT) program highlights. (Source: Windsor Police Service)
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