The Strategic Director, Health and Wellbeing will present Document “AL” which provides an overview of findings from a recently conducted audit of deaths by suicide in the District 2013-15 and also presents the District’s new multi-agency Suicide Prevention Plan in draft form prior to its anticipated launch in April 2017.

Recommended –

That the Committee note and comment on the audit of deaths by suicide and the District Suicide Prevention Plan 2017-2021.

(Peter Roderick – 01274 437352)

The Speciality Registrar, Public Health presented a report (Document “AL”) which provided an overview of the findings from a recently conducted audit of deaths by suicide in the District 2013-15 and presented the District’s new multi-agency Suicide Prevention Plan, in draft form, prior to its anticipated launch in April 2017.

The Speciality Registrar, Public Health explained that the District had a fairly new Mental Wellbeing Strategy and this included a Suicide Prevention Plan.  In February 2017 access was granted to audit Coroner’s Office files where it was found that 76 cases of suicide had occurred in the Bradford District.  It was identified that the age group most at risk was 50 years old and one of the clear trends was deprivation.  The Speciality Registrar informed Members that the Prevention Plan was a multi agency document and modelled on the National Strategy.  He reported that there was an aspiration to attain a 10% reduction by 2021 and that there were six key areas within the Plan.

Members then raised the following points:

·         Why were 61% of suicide deaths by hanging?

·         Had the number of suicides evened out since the financial crisis?

·         Were the categories relevant in respect of the person’s relationship status at time of death?

·         Could staff who dealt with vulnerable people be trained and could it be built into the Plan?

·         What was the difference between the Coroner’s figures and National figures?

·         How many deaths had there been between people aged between 5 and 19 years?

·         People were being discharged from hospital, referred back to their GP and still having suicidal thoughts.  There were some excellent services available.

·         Would information about suicide attempts by age be available?

·         Some people may feel better if they had decided to end their life and could therefore be missed.  Was this factored into training and plans?

·         A psychological assessment should be undertaken before a person who had self harmed was discharged from hospital.

·         Were most insurance policies invalidated if suicide was a cause of death?

·         How would access to the means of suicide be reduced or prevented?

·         Support was required for those that had to deal with the aftermath of an attempted suicide or suicide.

·         Was there any detailed analysis in relation to those that had committed suicide and were already known to mental health services and those that were not?  

·         Suicide rates in prisons had increased.

·         It would be worthwhile looking at the suicide rates of prison leavers.

In response Members were informed that:

·         Hanging was quick and there was no way back.

·         Three year rolling rates had been compiled and the numbers had increased where expected, however, the rates were reducing slightly now.  It could not be said that there was a trend though.

·         The person’s relationship status had been taken from the information recorded by the police at the time of death and there was very little link, however, a major issue in a person’s life, such as some form of family break up, was a high risk factor.

·         Work was ongoing to develop two or three key points to help in these situations.

·         The Coroner had high standards.  There were no deaths of people aged between 5 and 19 years in the audit, however, two had been 19 years old.  The Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) investigated all child deaths and there were other threads that pulled together.  There could be a delay in issues being referred to the CDOP and there was a need to build resilience in children in order to prevent situations.

·         It was difficult to separate the figures of suicide attempts from self harm cases, however, Accident and Emergency Departments could be asked to record them. 

·         It would be difficult to identify people who appeared to be better but were intent on committing suicide, however, training requirements could be considered.

·         Psychological assessments could be looked at.

·         It was believed that the issues regarding insurance policies had not changed.

·         The reduction or prevention of suicides involved taking reasonable measures and making it more difficult.  It could not be stopped but it could be made harder to carry out.

·         The Strategy identified support for those affected by suicide and there was some good work ongoing.  A training course was now available.  Leeds had an effective service that was not expensive and consideration was being given to the commissioning of a Regional service.

·         In the information studied there had not been any cases where the person was already known to mental health services, however, there had been a vast reduction in the number of suicides of people in care.

·         The issue of suicide levels in prison leavers would be raised at the next mental health meeting.

The Overview and Scrutiny Lead confirmed that the Committee was due to look at the Mental Health Strategy in detail and the issues raised could be included.

Resolved –

(1)       That the report be welcomed and noted.

(2)       That further work on data collection to identify suicide attempts seen in Accident and Emergency Departments and by psychiatric liaison be undertaken.

(3)       That the risk of suicide in relation to prison leavers be raised with partners at a Regional level.

Action: Speciality Registrar in Public Health/Consultant in Public Health