“Suicide is not inevitable. It is preventable and sparing 20 minutes could help save a life,” urges the chair of the Mental Health Network.
Paul Jenkins OBE, chair of the Mental Health Network, which is part of the NHS Confederation, joins the Zero Suicide Alliance’s call to action to challenge one million people to take the zero-suicide training ahead of his chairing of a panel discussion on suicide prevention at the NHS Confederation’s annual conference.
Paul who will be joined on stage by Ruth Sutherland, chief executive at Samaritans, Joe Rafferty, chief executive at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and Steve Gilbert OBE, Vice-chair of the Review of the Mental Health Act, for the session Preventing Suicide, Saving Lives – said: “We are heartened by the recent downward trend in the overall rate of death by suicide in the UK. But there were still over 5,500 suicides in the UK in 2016. This is likely to be an underestimate of the true amount, and far more attempt to take their own lives.
“The aftershock created by the loss of a life through suicide can be far reaching – one study estimated that each death by suicide affects a further 115 people.
“But suicide is not inevitable. It is preventable and sparing 20 minutes could help save a life by helping people know how best to support someone in distress who might be at risk of taking their own lives.
“We welcome the Prime Minister’s move to encourage all NHS staff to take part in the Zero Suicide Alliance training.
“It is really crucial that the NHS embraces this opportunity and, with its partners, ensures that all its staff are trained to support individuals who may be at risk of taking their own lives.”
The Zero Suicide Alliance is a coalition of like-minded partners, including many NHS organisations who are determined to work together and share best practice to help rid the UK of suicide.
The Alliance wants one million people from the UK to complete its free suicide prevention training, which takes around 20 minutes. Find out more at: https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/training/
