24/7 crisis line offers confidential mental health support for police

23 July 2025

Police officers and staff in need of immediate support will now be able to access an independent and confidential mental health crisis line.

The new service is being launched by Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service, and is specifically aimed at those experiencing a mental health crisis or having suicidal thoughts.

Mark Lee, chair of Nottinghamshire Police Federation, has welcomed the initiative and believes it could help save lives.

“Policing is an incredibly challenging profession,” says Mark, “Police officers are on the frontline, responding to traumatic incidents day in and day out. That can take its toll on their mental health. While they are committed to looking after others, we also need to make sure that they can access help and support when they need it too.

“The crisis line, which will be completely confidential and is independent of forces, will hopefully give those in need of immediate help the opportunity to reach out and speak to suitably trained professionals.

“As a Federation, we will do all we can to promote this service and we hope that members will do the same. If you know someone is struggling with their mental health, please let them know that there is help available. Please make a note of the crisis line number – 0300 131 2789.

"Hopefully, you will never need to use it but it’s still worth putting it into your phone so that you can ring if you need to or pass the number onto a colleague.”

The crisis line will give police officers and staff access to counsellors trained in suicide prevention and with an understanding of the world of policing. They will be able to provide immediate help in a crisis, keep the callers safe and stable as well as signpost them to more support based on their individual needs, including counselling, therapy or other services.

Call handlers will share their name and then ask for information about the caller’s situation. This is purely to assess the situation, and this information will not be shared – it is completely confidential. No information will be shared with the Force, occupational health or line management.

It’s worth noting that if there is cause for concern regarding any caller, a follow-up call will be scheduled. 

Oscar Kilo will provide the service in partnership with TASC, the Ambulance Staff Charity, drawing on its experience of delivering a similar service for ambulance and fire service personnel.

An initial 12-month trial in the North-East region has demonstrated a clear need for the mental health crisis line, which is being launched to run alongside the specialist bereavement counselling service designed to help those affected by the suicide of a colleague.

Oscar Kilo aims to ensure that everyone working in policing has access to first-class wellbeing resources. It has developed a suicide prevention consensus statement and national suicide action plan, progressed the Police Covenant, supported the appointment of chief medical officer and advanced a national health and wellbeing strategy for policing.

As part of its Copped Enough campaign, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) points out that mental health crises in policing are soaring, with the profession now having the highest mental health-related sickness rates.

The Federation is campaigning for fair pay, support for frontline risks, with an allowance recognising the dangers officers face, a plan focussing on officer retention and better protection and mental health support, so officers are not forced to suffer in silence.

Mental health crisis line - 0300 131 2789.

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