Mental Health 2012 – Suicide Prevention Toolkit
Posted by John Sheath on 21st February 2012
The NPSA (National Patient Safety Agency) has launched a toolkit based on the NICE Guidelines on the Management and Prevention of Self-Harm 2004. The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide found that between 1997-2008 there were 4,000 suicides in the UK each year but that 74% of those who took their own lives were not known to mental health services in the twelve months prior to death; 200,000 cases of self-harm are seen in hospital each year.
- Each toolkit contains an audit tool focusing on the following topics:
- Consent (and Capacity) Treatment
- Intervention and Care
- Risk Assessment to Prevent Suicide
- Family and Carer Involvement
- Appropriate Medication
- Discharge, Transfer and Follow Up
- Post Incident Review
- Staff Training
The objectives of the toolkit are to provide (1) useful management information, (2) informed practice and supervision, (3) identifying non-compliance and sharing best practice, (4) preventing silo working, and (5) addressing training needs.
The toolkit is designed for use by ambulance services, community mental health services, general practice and emergency departments. Private schemes have already been launched in December 2011 in seven NHS Trusts.
A key theme is for an integrated approach to suicide prevention and given the recent Rabone decision, having appropriate processes and procedures in place to identify and appropriately care for all patients at risk of suicide will become a top priority.
