Consultation launched to inform new suicide prevention
strategy
A new consultation on
preventing suicide has been launched today by the Care Services
Minister, Paul Burstow. Bereaved families and experts in general
practice, local government, transport, mental health and criminal
justice will all help to inform a new strategy to be published in
the New Year.
One person dies every two hours as a result of suicide in England
– the Government is determined to do all it can to prevent
suicides.
The suicide strategy will place a new emphasis on family members.
This means working with relatives to prevent a vulnerable person
taking their own life and better supporting those who have been
bereaved following a suicide.
Paul Burstow is meeting with the families of suicide victims
today to hear their thoughts on how suicide can be prevented. The
families will continue to advise the Government on what care and
support is valued by bereaved families, and those worried that a
loved one is feeling suicidal.
The Government has asked the Royal College of Psychiatrists,
Royal College of Nursing, NHS Confederation to share their views
on how healthcare professionals should work with family members to
prevent suicides. This is the beginning of a new discussion
between Government and the medical profession on how to best take
families into their confidence in helping a suicidal patient,
whilst respecting patient confidentiality.
Paul Burstow said:
“Losing a loved one to suicide is a tragedy. I want to make sure
that we are doing all we can to prevent suicides and give
vulnerable people the support they desperately need. I have been
listening to families who have been bereaved following a suicide,
and have called upon experts in healthcare, criminal justice and
transport to help us put together a new strategy to save people
from taking their own lives.
“It’s essential that family members get good emotional and
practical support if they’ve lost a loved one to suicide. I have
asked healthcare professionals and coroners to ensure that the
Department of Health’s Help is at Hand book is offered to help
families cope in their bereavement.”
Improving care for families who have been bereaved by suicide is
central to the new strategy. The Government has recently updated
the ‘Help is at Hand’ book, which gives vital information to those
who have lost a loved one to suicide. The Care Services Minister
has written to the Royal College of GPs, The Coroners’ Society,
Association of Chief Police Officers to call for the ‘Help is at
Hand’ book to be publicised and distributed more widely. As part
of the consultation, GPs, coroners and police have been asked to
find new ways to ensure families get essential emotional support
and practical advice following a suicide.
The consultation calls for views on six areas of action:
Reduce the risk of suicide in key high risk groups such as
prisoners;Tailor approaches to improve mental health in specific
groups such as veterans and people with depression or alcohol
addiction;Reduce access to the means of suicide in order to reduce
the number of suicides; Provide better information and support to
those bereaved or affected by a suicide;Support the media in
delivering sensible and sensitive approaches to suicide and
suicidal behaviour; andSupport research, data collection and
monitoring.
Alongside the Department of Health’s strategy consultation,
Samaritans is appealing to all national suicide prevention
organisations to join its Call to Action to pledge to undertake
actions, independently or collectively, to prevent suicide.
Samaritans Chief Executive, Catherine Johnstone,
said:
“We whole-heartedly welcome the Government’s new commitment to
preventing suicide. Death by suicide means a lost life, lost
talent, a lost parent, sibling or child, and a wound that does not
easily heal in families and communities. In order to reduce death
by suicide we need collaboration, coordination and action from
many stakeholders across all sectors.
“Because a wide range of factors contribute to suicidal
behaviour, we are calling on the public, voluntary and private
sectors alike to show their commitment by joining in the Call to
Action for suicide prevention in England. By working together we
can achieve more.”
Notes to Editors
For further information, or to request an interview with case
study who has lost a family member to suicide, please contact the
Department of Health press office on 020 7210 5221
Consultation on Preventing Suicide in England: A
cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives is online for
contributions by 11 October at
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_128065
To see more detail on Samaritans’ Call to Action go to:
www.samaritans.org/calltoaction
New figures on the prevalence of suicide have been published
today by the University of Manchester in the National Confidential
Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness
The Help is at Hand book is also available online here Help is
at Hand - Department of Health.
Proposals put forward in the consultation have been drawn up by
the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, which
includes families, academics and coroners and is chaired by
Professor Louis Appleby CBE.
4,400 lives a year are lost to suicide and it is a leading cause
of death in young adults.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk