Starmer announces reforms to improve suicide prevention and save lives

Keir Starmer has today announced that the next Labour Government will specially train mental health professionals to support people who self-harm, as part of the party’s national mission to drive down rates of suicide.  

Announcing his mission to make the NHS fit for the future last year, the Labour leader pledged that his government will reverse the upward trend of suicide, within five years. Starmer has previously spoke movingly about the ‘raw pain’ he has seen in families who have lost a loved one to suicide.

The policy announcement comes at the end of a three day visit to the North West, during which he set out Labour’s Child Health Action plan to ensure children are healthy, happy, and get the NHS care they need. The North West is an area with the second highest suicide rates in the country, at a rate of over 12 suicides for every 100,000 people. 

The plan pledged to roll-out mental health support for every school in England, and to deliver a Young Futures community hub in every community, providing open access mental health services for young people.

Keir Starmer is expanding on the practical first steps he’d take to bring about the change Labour is confident about delivering.

Labour will require specialist self-harm training to be undertaken by the 8,500 additional mental health staff that it will recruit in office. The workforce boost is funded by scrapping the carried interest loophole for private equity. This will mean that people who are self-harming, some of whom could be at risk of taking their own lives, are seen quickly and get expert help.

Research by the charity Samaritans has found that people who self-harm can be turned away from primary mental health services for being "too high risk", meaning they are left without the vital support that they need.

ONS data published in December tragically shows that a renewed national effort to tackle suicide is sorely needed. Suicide rates are as high as they were over 20 years ago, and higher than they were in 2010.

The commitment to specially train mental health professionals comes as new analysis by Labour shows the number of children being admitted to hospital for self-harm has more than doubled since 2011. Self-harm is a strong risk factor for suicide, as well as a sign of distress in its own right.

Analysis of NHS England figures shows a 125% increase in admissions of under 15s to hospital for intentional self-harm or overdose of over the last 13 years. Shockingly, more young lives are being lost to suicide than they were in 2010, with thousands of families around the country “ripped apart by grief”. Since 2010, the rate of registered suicides amongst teenagers (15-19 years) has increased by nearly two-thirds.

Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

"Almost all of us can think of someone who has tragically lost their life to suicide. Too many families are being ripped apart by grief after losing a loved one to suicide. It is a raw pain – that fact alone should shock us all into action.

“Prevention is at the heart of my mission-led approach to tackling the urgent challenges our country faces. The value of getting in front of problems is no more apparent than when it comes to our children’s mental health.

“The number of children showing signs of acute distress is heart breaking, and behind those stats are millions of families going through hell. Urgent action is vital, and my government will deliver it.

“Through mental health support in every school in England, early-intervention hubs in every community, and 8,500 specially trained new staff to drive down waiting times my Labour Government will drive down the rate of suicide and drive down the number of families facing anguish.”

Ends

Notes

Source: NHS Hospital Episode Statistics 2010 - 2011

       NHS Hospital Episode Statistics 2022 - 2023

Intentional self-harm and self-poisoning are recorded under the following definitions by the NHS: 

• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics         
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic, antiparkinsonism and psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified           
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to narcotics and psychodysleptics [hallucinogens], not elsewhere classified        
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system            
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances        
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol       
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to organic solvents and halogenated hydrocarbons and their vapours           
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other gases and vapours         
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to pesticides          
• Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances        
• Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation and suffocation         
• Intentional self-harm by drowning and submersion            
• Intentional self-harm by handgun discharge            
• Intentional self-harm by rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge          
• Intentional self-harm by other and unspecified firearm discharge        
• Intentional self-harm by explosive material           
• Intentional self-harm by smoke, fire and flames       
• Intentional self-harm by steam, hot vapours and hot objects       
• Intentional self-harm by sharp object           
• Intentional self-harm by blunt object           
• Intentional self-harm by jumping from a high place          
• Intentional self-harm by jumping or lying before moving object          
• Intentional self-harm by crashing of motor vehicle          
• Intentional self-harm by other specified means        
• Intentional self-harm by unspecified means

Source: ONS Suicides in England and Wales - 2022 registrations

• "Self-harm is a strong risk factor for suicide, as well as sign of distress in its own right..."
• • Royal College of Psychiatrists: Self Harm and Suicide in Adults (2020)

o   Press Release - Samaritans believes reducing self-harm is key to suicide prevention (2019)

• "Research by the charity Samaritans has found that people who self-harm can be turned away..."
• • Samaritans - Pushed from Pillar to Post (October 2020)

Expert Stakeholder responses

Brian Dow, Deputy Chief Executive at Rethink Mental Illness, said: 

“Self-harm is one of the biggest risk factors for eventual suicide, so training staff within NHS Talking Therapies services to support those who are self-harming is a sensible idea which could reduce the risk of people taking their own lives. 

We will never address the chasm between rising levels of demand and the lack of provision within mental health services unless we have a workforce with the skills to help people with their problems as early as possible. That’s why it is vital that Labour’s welcome pledge to train an additional 8,500 mental health professionals includes staff who can direct people to other forms of support for issues that can increase the risk of suicide, such as debt, housing problems and isolation.”

Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said: 

"The ongoing fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, coupled with a deepening cost of living crisis, have led to more and more people struggling with their mental health, many to the degree they are self-harming. We know that young people have been hit particularly hard. So, we welcome this promised step towards making sure people get the support they need. In many cases, it could save lives. 

"Whoever forms the next government must make sure all healthcare staff receive the right training in mental health, including in support for self-harm, as we know it impacts people in all parts of the health service."

Ged Flynn, Chief Executive of the national charity PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, said:

“Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35 in the UK. We believe many suicides can be prevented.   

“The founding members of our charity were all parents bereaved by suicide. They described it as a group nobody wanted to join.

“Today PAPYRUS, like many charities, supports those who may right now find life itself too much to bear. We therefore welcome any initiative that offers quality, timely and sustainable support for those considering suicide and those struggling to find life in times of crisis.”

Julie Bentley, Samaritans Chief Executive, said: 

“Those in need of support can end up getting pushed around the system, told that they are ‘too high risk’ for one service and ‘not high risk enough’ for another. 

It’s crucial that people receive help as early as possible, and more specialist trained mental health staff would play a big part in ensuring that there is ‘no wrong door’ in the health system for people who self-harm or experience suicidal thoughts. I am pleased to see Samaritans’ calls are being heard.”

Andy Bell, Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said:  

“Support for people who are self-harming needs to be available nationwide, offering help as early as possible in an accessible and engaging way. No one should be turned away from mental health support when they need it. Without early help, people are at risk of reaching crisis point before they get the support that could make a difference.”