19.12.16
Prevention strategy ‘insufficient’ as suicides remain too high
Suicides in the UK can only be reduced with more effective government action, an interim report from the Health Select Committee has concluded.
There were a recorded 4,820 suicides in England in 2015, and the true figure is likely to be higher. The suicide rate was 10.1 deaths per 100,000, and the year before it was at 10.3, the highest rate since 2004.
Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 49, people aged 15-24, and women in the year after birth, and particularly affects lower socio-economic groups. The government introduced its first suicide prevention strategy in 2012, but the committee found that its implementation had been “characterised by inadequate leadership, poor accountability, and insufficient action”.
Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, chair of the Health Select Committee, said: “Suicide is preventable and much more can and should be done to support those at risk.
“I hope to see the most important messages from witnesses to our inquiry taken into account by the government in their renewed suicide prevention strategy.”
Public Health England has only just published guidance for local authorities on suicide prevention, after a four-year delay, and 30% of councils do not have a strategy. The government has also not carried out any monitoring of the strategy’s implementation.
The government is due to publish a new strategy in January, which the committee said must be marked with a clear implementation plam, strong leadership, and regular scrutiny.
The cross-party group of MPs recommended a range of approaches to different at-risk groups. For people not in contact with services, they suggested there should be greater emphasis on public mental health and wellbeing to reduce stigma. For those in touch with primary care services, GPs should be trained in suicide risk, and for patients discharged from inpatient care, follow-up support should be delivered within three days instead of the current standard of seven.
The committee also stressed the need to make professionals more aware that they can share knowledge of a patient’s suicidal intent with their friends and family if they have consent.
Other recommendations included making provision of support for families who have been bereaved by suicide mandatory, reducing the time taken to produce a provisional notice of suicide, and reviewing how well the media follows guidelines on reporting suicides.
Sean Duggan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network, said: “We completely agree with the committee that a lot more can be done to prevent suicide and support people in crises. Developing mental health services is essential but money hasn’t come as quickly as promised and this is holding-up progress.”
A Department of Health spokesperson confirmed that the strategy was currently being updated, and said they were “confident” that it would address the issues raised in the report.
The government has promised an additional £1bn to improve mental health services, but a recent King’s Fund report found that the money is failing to reach the front line, with 40% of mental health trusts experiencing a decrease in income.
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