Suicide rate rising ( Figures released by Office of National Statistics )

[Terry Skyrme]

Figures released on 19/2/2015 show that the suicide rate has risen steadily since 2007 whereas before then the rate had been falling. The rate of male suicides has shown the most marked increase. Suicide is the leading cause of death in men and women aged 20-34. In 2013 there were 252 more suicides than in 2012. However, we hardly need the Office of National Statistics to tell us that we have a serious problem. In Norfolk and Suffolk we have witnessed numerous tragedies over the last 2 years. Quite a number of these tragedies involved people already known to mental health services. As a Campaign we have highlighted a number of changes that have made it more difficult to provide help to people in a suicidal crisis, namely:

1. the abolition of GP based Community Mental Health Nurses

2. The abolition of the Specialist Assertive Outreach Teams in Central Norfolk

3. The abolition of the Mental Health Team for Homeless People in Norwich

4. THe loss of acute psychiatric inpatient beds

5. The cuts in community teams leading to many patients having no allocated worker.

The Samaritans Executive Director, Joe Ferns, said today, “We need to see a greater focus at local and regional levels on the coordination and prioritisation of suicide prevention activity.” Ferns went on to add that a third of local authorities do not collect information about suicide, and do not have a suicide prevention action plan or a multi-agency suicide prevention group. Our Campaign was due to meet with Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust to discuss this issue but the Trust has now refused to meet with us because our website carried some criticisms of the Board of Governors! Where do their priorities lie?

[chawkes]

Has anyone been given the number for the new MIND crisis line? The opening (by guess who) was on Look East Friday 27th Feb 2015 and in EDP.