All areas of the country now have local suicide prevention plans and suicide bereavement services, supported by a £57 million investment through the NHS Long Term Plan. We have seen one of the lowest ever suicide rates (in 2017) and collective efforts to improve patient safety led to a 35% fall in suicides in mental health inpatient settings in England between 2010 and 2020.
However, while overall the current suicide rate is not significantly higher than in 2012, the rate is not falling. There is therefore much more we must all do to save more lives.
