Suicide prevention

Yesterday, on World Mental Health Day, the Prime Minister has appointed the first UK Minister for Suicide Prevention, helping to prevent the tragedy of suicide taking too many lives.

Key facts: 

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price will be the first minister in the UK with this responsibility, and will lead a new national effort on suicide prevention.
  • · The new Minister for Suicide Prevention will bring together a ministerial taskforce and work with national and local government, experts in suicide and self-harm prevention, charities, clinicians and those personally affected by suicide. 
  • · The Prime Minister has also announced up to £1.8 million funding for the Samaritans’ helpline, to ensure the charity can continue to provide immediate and lifesaving support 24 hours a day. 
  • · From next year, we will publish a State of the Nation report every year on World Mental Health Day, highlighting the trends and issues in young people’s mental well-being. 
  • · We will also provide tools to help schools measure their students’ health, including their mental wellbeing, building on our commitment to make education in mental health and resilience a compulsory part of the curriculum. 

Why this matters: 

In her first speech as Prime Minister, Theresa May pledged to fight the burning injustices in our society, of which there are few greater examples than those struggling with mental health conditions. Together, we can end the stigma that has forced too many to suffer in silence and prevent the tragedy of suicide taking too many lives.

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