Emergency department and hospital staff are concerned as police prepare to make sweeping changes to how they respond to mental health calls.

Many of those changes have already been made in Wellington, with police attending mental distress events and assisting clinical staff less frequently, to keep up with demand.

It comes as Police Minister Mark Mitchell says police need to focus on their core role, and are having their time wasted at insignificant family harm callouts. 

Mitchell joined Nick Mills to talk through the concerns. 

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