NEWS: Dorset CCG Publish Suicide Prevention Plan

Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have published Dorset’s awaited Suicide Prevention Action Plan.

The Pan-Dorset Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2017

Dorset CCG, working with a partnership of key organisations, have agreed a high-level set of actions and desired outcomes. These actions and outcomes allow each partner organisation to develop its own Action Plan. The plan has been written to support the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. The aim of the Action Plan is to reduce the numbers of death by suicide in Dorset. The desired outcomes include:

Reducing fear and stigma in high risk groups
Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing widely
Reducing the means of suicide at hotspot areas using risk assessments
Providing support after a suicide has taken place
Promoting responsible reporting of suicide

Dorset CCG’s Suicide Prevention Plan

Suicide Prevention is high on the agenda and a key part of the Mental Health Five Year Forward View and every area across the country is expected to have a Suicide Prevention Plan published by the end of April 2018. Suicide has a profound effect on families, friends and local communities. Across Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole an average of 70 people die by suicide each year. Due to this, Dorset CCG and partners would like to introduce the Suicide Prevention Plan. The Suicide Prevention Plan is a high level plan with key themes from the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Each organisation signed up to this plan will develop their own Suicide Prevention Plan targeting their areas of influence. Each organisation will then report progress through the Crisis Care Concordat Working Group. It will be reported through the CCG’s Integrated Community Primary Care Service (ICPCS) Board to the Health and Wellbeing Boards. Please note the plan seen here is a working draft that will be finalised by 30 April 2018. Work on this plan will support the national intention to reduce the number of suicides and importantly will reduce the number of deaths by suicide in Dorset. Across Dorset there is strong commitment to delivering this plan and delivering it in partnership. Once published and finalised the partnerships will be strengthened and formalised to ensure that the reach of the plan is as wide as possible. The full report can be found here: Suicide Prevention Strategy Action Plan 2018

Dorset Mind is one of the Key Partners

Dorset Mind worked with Dorset CCG and Public Health Dorset as one of the key partners to the plan. As such Dorset Mind will devise and publish its own Suicide Prevention Action Plan. Marianne Storey, CEO of Dorset Mind said: “Dorset Mind is completely supportive of the ethos of the Pan-Dorset Suicide Prevention Plan and the partnership approach that Dorset CCG have taken in putting it together. We recognise that this is a high-level plan. The real value will come from the Action Plans of the organisations that make up the partnership. The collective impact of all the Action Plans striving to achieve the objectives of the Pan-Dorset Plan should be huge. The numbers of people dying from suicide should greatly reduce. The Plan tells us that three quarters of people who die from suicide are not in touch with NHS mental health services but that there is some evidence that people do increase visits to their GP. So we know that organisations like us, and other charitable, community-facing and local organisations could really make a huge difference. Part of our Action Plan at Dorset Mind will be to make sure GPs know that they can refer people to us when they reach out for help.

The Dorset Mental Health Alliance

Dorset Mind will also be working closely with the Dorset Mental Health Alliance and will be part of their Action Plan. The Dorset Mental Health Alliance is a group of organisations and people who have a joint interested in making Dorset a 6mentally healthy county. They meet quarterly and they will have their own Suicide Prevention Action Plan – the focus of their meeting in February was, in fact, on Suicide Prevention. I, personally, am thrilled that we now have this overarching plan in Dorset. And at Dorset Mind, we would like to see the target of a 10% reduction in numbers stretched far beyond that. With around 70 people a year dying from suicide in the county, we will make our own aspirations much higher than that and look forward to working as part of the partnership to do so.” Dr Andrew Mayers, a Principal Academic at Bournemouth University and Patron for Dorset Mind said: “I very much welcome the publication of this draft Suicide Prevention Plan. While there is much we still need to do to implement recommendations, it is encouraging the Dorset Commissioning Group and Public Health Dorset recognise that we need all parties involved in the development of the plan. At Dorset Mind, we are likely to encounter many of those at risk of suicide that do not come to the attention of NHS services. We can all work together to reduce the incidence of suicide, and the impact that suicide has on those who are left behind. We are fortunate in Dorset that we have so many groups, charities, and statutory bodies that are committed to working together to improve and support mental health, and address factors that can protect the most vulnerable people in our community. I look forward to contributing to the ongoing development of this plan.”

Dorset Mental Health Alliance is one of the Key Partners

Dorset Mind has been instrumental in forming the Dorset Mental Health Alliance (DMHA). The Alliance is a group of organisations and people with an interest in Mental Health. They meet quarterly and focuses on collaboration to find partnership solutions to different aspects of mental health across Dorset. Will Voitus van Hamme, Chair of the Dorset Mental Health Alliance said: “The Dorset Mental Health Alliance welcomes the publication today of the draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2018 in Dorset. We embrace the intention that statutory agencies, the voluntary sector and others including the media need to work together to reduce the number of suicides and the immediate and lingering effect of someone taking their life. We note a 10% reduction of the average baseline level of 70 deaths by suicide by 2020/21 is targeted. We’re keen to work with relevant parties to put a more ambitious target in place. 77% of suicides are completed without the person having been in contact with mental health providers. Although this is in line with national averages, we should still view this as a societal failure. We urge parties to reach out to all Dorset communities together to remove stigma surrounding mental health – suicide in particular. The DMHA encourages Public Health Dorset and others to ensure best practice at all times follows the recommendations from the National Suicide Prevention Alliance. The Alliance looks forward to engage in and support further actions and discussions.” wvoitus@btconnect.com]]>