Suicide Prevention APPG Welcomes New Commitment To Renew The Suicide Prevention Strategy

The Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Suicide Prevention Group (APPSPG), Bridgend MP; Madeleine Moon, has today welcomed the commitment to renew the national suicide prevention strategy.

The commitment is one of many contained within the government's new mental health strategy, ‘New Horizons: A shared vision for mental health', and follows calls for renewal of the current suicide prevention strategy (due to end at the end of 2010) by the APPG for Suicide Prevention and others including the Samaritans.

The Government launched their National Suicide Strategy for England in 2002, and with it set a target of reducing suicide rates by 20% by 2010. Although the base rate was already one of the lowest in Europe, it has continued to fall since the implementation of the strategy the lowest since records began in 1861.

The commitment to renew the strategy has been welcomed by the Chair of the Group Madeleine Moon, who has stated:

"It is so important that the supreme focus there has been on the issue of suicide prevention over the past eight years is continued. Every life lost to a suicide is tragic, and while so many of these deaths are still preventable we need to continue build on the momentum achieved".

Other commitments made in this new strategy relate to issues raised by the APPSPG over the course of the past year, including, better employment opportunities for people with mental health problems, improved care for specific groups such as, mentally ill offenders and young veterans. The refreshed strategy will also explore ways of supporting bereaved families.

Madeleine Moon further commented that:
"It is pleasing to see a commitment to establish a link with equivalent groups in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to ensure ongoing mutual learning across the UK. This is something that the APPG sought to begin earlier this year, and as such we look forward to continuing to work groups and individuals in Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales, to ensure that we are all doing everything we can."

Britain now has one of the lowest suicide rates in Europe and one of the highest levels of investment in mental health services. However, while these commitments today are welcomed, it remains important that these new initiatives are properly resourced.

Madeleine Moon comments:
"A Suicide prevention strategy must be high profile, adequately funded, have responsibility for implementation clearly allocated, have accountability against defined targets and measures; and, include proper monitoring and recording of suicide data, reported regularly.

I look forward to continuing dialogue Phil Hope and others to ensure that this is the case."