Suicide prevention: interim report

Suicide prevention: interim report

Government Response to the Health Select Committee's Inquiry into Suicide Prevention

Conclusion

Our evidence has made clear that suicide is preventable and that much more can and should be done to support vulnerable individuals. We look forward to the publication of the Government’s refreshed suicide prevention strategy and we hope to see the crucial points we have addressed in this short report taken into account. We will scrutinise the updated strategy and will hold a follow-up hearing with key stakeholders to hear their views before publishing a full report. 

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmhealth/300/300.pdf

Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 13 December 2016

This pre-dates the appointment of the suicide prevention minister.

Can't really see much in the way of action, unless reading the report twice means that they were thorough.



Formal Minutes

Tuesday 13 December 2016
Members present:
Dr Sarah Wollaston, in the Chair
Heidi Alexander
Dr James Davies
Luciana Berger
Andrea Jenkyns
Rosie Cooper
Andrew Selous

Draft Report (Suicide prevention: interim report), proposed by the Chair, brought up and 
read.

Ordered, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.

Paragraphs 1 to 37 read and agreed to.

Resolved, That the Report be the Fourth Report of the Committee to the House.

Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House.

Ordered, That embargoed copies of the Report be made available, in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 134.


Adjourned till Tuesday 10 January at 9.45am.


And almost from an episode of Yes, Prime Minister


Conclusions and recommendations

Implementation
1. The refreshed suicide prevention strategy must be underpinned by a clear
implementation strategy, with strong national leadership, clear accountability, and
regular and transparent external scrutiny. In the words of a bereaved parent, “we
cannot allow more lives to be lost because we do not have effective governance and
implementation”. (Paragraph 11)
2. We recommend that the Government’s updated strategy should include a clear
implementation programme, with strong external scrutiny of local authority
plans and progress. Local areas also need a clear message from the top that suicide
prevention plans are mandatory. (Paragraph 12) 

World Mental Health Day

Haven't seen any news from JDP yet

World Mental Health Day:
PM appoints suicide prevention minister

10 October 2018

A minister for suicide prevention has been appointed in England by the prime minister as the government hosts the first ever global mental health summit.

Theresa May said the appointment of Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price to the new role will help tackle the stigma surrounding suicide.

While suicide rates are falling, 4,500 people take their own lives every year.

The appointment comes as ministers and officials from more than 50 countries assemble in London for the summit.

Wednesday's meeting - hosted by Health Secretary Matt Hancock and attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - coincides with World Mental Health Day.

The government has also promised more support in schools, bringing in new mental health support teams and offering help in measuring students' health, including their mental wellbeing.

Ms May said: "We can end the stigma that has forced too many to suffer in silence and prevent the tragedy of suicide taking too many lives."

Alongside the announcement, the prime minister pledged £1.8m to the Samaritans so the charity can continue providing its free helpline for the next four years.

§  Does the UK have much to shout about on World Mental Health Day?

§  10 charts on the mental health challenge

§  Can suicide rates be reduced to zero?

§  Mental illness: Why help ends at a milestone birthday

Hannah Lewis - who campaigns for improvements to mental health services having suffered from panic attacks, anxiety and suicidal thoughts as a teenager - said that it can be a year before someone who is referred for help actually begins treatment.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Mental health is known to deteriorate when you are left without help, and you can only imagine how things got worse with me." said her mental health issues dated back to when she was a child

Ms Lewis welcomed the government's announcement - especially the proposals to bring more awareness of mental health into schools - but she added: "More joined-up working at schools and early intervention is great, but we need to make sure then there are sufficient services to be signposted to."

Mrs Doyle-Price, who has been an MP since 2010, will now become the minister for mental health, inequalities and suicide prevention.

As health is devolved separately to the UK's four nations, her role will include making sure each local area in England has effective plans to stop unnecessary deaths and to look into how technology could help identify those at risk. 2010

She said she understood the "tragic, devastating and long-lasting" effect of suicide on families, having met some of those bereaved.

"It's these people who need to be at the heart of what we do," she added.

Manchester University's Prof Louis Appleby, one of the country's leading experts on suicide, said having a minister for suicide prevention would "open doors" and make it easier to have conversations about the role such things as benefits and online gambling have in suicidal people's lives.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the appointment would also help with getting support for mental illness on a par with services for physical health.

"There is a long road to travel to get there. This is not something you solve overnight," he said.

But others criticised the government's record on mental health.  Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity Sane, said there had not been enough improvements to services since Mrs May pledged to tackle the issue two years ago.

"While we applaud the intention [of the announcement], it is striking that the UK should be hosting such a summit when we hear daily about people left untreated due to a lack of nurses and doctors," she said.

"The prime minister must examine our own mental health system before addressing other countries."

Suicide prevention Minister

From the BBC website

World Mental Health Day:

PM appoints suicide prevention minister

10 October 2018

A minister for suicide prevention has been appointed in England by the prime minister as the government hosts the first ever global mental health summit.

Theresa May said the appointment of Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price to the new role will help tackle the stigma surrounding suicide.

While suicide rates are falling, 4,500 people take their own lives every year.

The appointment comes as ministers and officials from more than 50 countries assemble in London for the summit.

Wednesday's meeting - hosted by Health Secretary Matt Hancock and attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - coincides with World Mental Health Day.

The government has also promised more support in schools, bringing in new mental health support teams and offering help in measuring students' health, including their mental wellbeing.

Ms May said: "We can end the stigma that has forced too many to suffer in silence and prevent the tragedy of suicide taking too many lives."

Alongside the announcement, the prime minister pledged £1.8m to the Samaritans so the charity can continue providing its free helpline for the next four years.

Hannah Lewis - who campaigns for improvements to mental health services having suffered from panic attacks, anxiety and suicidal thoughts as a teenager - said that it can be a year before someone who is referred for help actually begins treatment.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Mental health is known to deteriorate when you are left without help, and you can only imagine how things got worse with me." said her mental health issues dated back to when she was a child

Ms Lewis welcomed the government's announcement - especially the proposals to bring more awareness of mental health into schools - but she added: "More joined-up working at schools and early intervention is great, but we need to make sure then there are sufficient services to be signposted to."

Mrs Doyle-Price, who has been an MP since 2010, will now become the minister for mental health, inequalities and suicide prevention.

As health is devolved separately to the UK's four nations, her role will include making sure each local area in England has effective plans to stop unnecessary deaths and to look into how technology could help identify those at risk. 2010

She said she understood the "tragic, devastating and long-lasting" effect of suicide on families, having met some of those bereaved.

"It's these people who need to be at the heart of what we do," she added.

Manchester University's Prof Louis Appleby, one of the country's leading experts on suicide, said having a minister for suicide prevention would "open doors" and make it easier to have conversations about the role such things as benefits and online gambling have in suicidal people's lives.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the appointment would also help with getting support for mental illness on a par with services for physical health.

"There is a long road to travel to get there. This is not something you solve overnight," he said.

But others criticised the government's record on mental health.  Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity Sane, said there had not been enough improvements to services since Mrs May pledged to tackle the issue two years ago.

"While we applaud the intention [of the announcement], it is striking that the UK should be hosting such a summit when we hear daily about people left untreated due to a lack of nurses and doctors," she said.

"The prime minister must examine our own mental health system before addressing other countries."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45804225

Unless Mrs Doyle-Price is going to make some changes in the law, I can't see her appointment making any difference to suicide caused by bullying.

Disclosure, BBC Scotland

Just caught part of the "Harmed by my Surgeon" on  Disclosure, BBC Scotland

It's not just that Sam Eljamel harmed his patients for years, but that the Royal College of Surgeons and NHS Tayside tried to cover up their failings. 

The board also asked the Royal College of Surgeons to investigate which they did, sending an interim report in October 2013 followed by a final one on 6 December.

That date is important because NHS Tayside told BBC Disclosure that it acted "immediately" to suspend Mr Eljamel and report him to the GMC.

And yet we know that the health board allowed him to operate on Ms Rose on 9 December - three days later.

A report finally released 

The report talks about;

• a surgeon who failed to supervise his trainees
• who regularly got his juniors to do his operations for him, and who "rushed" through surgery
• Mr Eljamel often being difficult to get hold of because he was busy doing private work
• some of his colleagues complaining he had "bullied" them
• taking on too many cases, and there were examples given where he was "unwilling to scrub up to join in [surgery]".
• and questioning how the health board managed oversight of Mr Eljamel.

Who was Sam Eljamel?

He was the head of the neurosurgery department in Ninewells - one of just four specialist centres in Scotland.

The surgeon was an adviser to the Scottish government and also worked at Fernbrae private hospital in Dundee.

We know that he qualified in Tripoli in Libya before moving to Liverpool.

From there he went to Dublin where Mr Eljamel worked as a senior neurosurgical registrar.

He then went to Connecticut where he claims he completed a fellowship at Hartford Hospital.

Although when we contacted them they said they had no record of this.

He also claims he was a visiting professor at the Universities of Connecticut and San Diego but when BBC Disclosure contacted them the universities said this was not the case.

What happened to Eljamel?

He was allowed to retire from NHS Tayside in May 2014 and to remove himself from the UK medical register.

It means: no further investigation, no sanction and no disciplinary action by the General Medical Council.

The GMC told BBC Disclosure that its priority was "to protect patients". Not to "punish doctors".

NHS Tayside's medical director, Prof Andrew Russell, said: "We have heard from a number of patients from 2012 to 2016 who have had concerns and we have ensured we have listened to their complaints and taken appropriate action to support patients as per our duty of care.
"There has been much learning by the organisation immediately following these events and many improvements have been made over the past five years.
"I would like to reassure our patients that NHS Tayside complies with all national standards relating to spinal surgery, with patient safety front and centre of every procedure carried out."

Another intimidating bully plays the system and walks away.

This followed on from a report on BBC Breakfast. I can't find any record of it, as yet, on the website, but it related to suicide, depression and sponsorship/partnership of the campaign by Harlequins RUFC.

With suicide currently such a hot topic, there must be a connection to the historical acceptance of bullying in the workplace.
It is so prevalent that Management know that they can bypass the "rules" and get away with bullying their employees.
The employees know that it is difficult to report bullying, especially by their management, for fear of retribution, which will be backed by higher management. See my comments on DHL, Leeds.

  

Harlan Coben said

Hi - I'm reading "Fool Me Once" by Harlan Coben and wanted to share these quotes with you.

Some days, every song seems to be talking directly to you, don’t they? And some days, a lyric may hit too close to home. She drove down a narrow, quiet street. Thick woods lined both sides of it. The phone map showed that the address was at the end of a dead end. If that was the case, and she had no reason to doubt it, the residence was in a secluded spot.

Whatever you believe, accident or intentional, we the people should know. We may still want to fight the war. But we should know. Businessmen lie and cheat. Sports figures lie and cheat. Governments lie and cheat. We shrug. But imagine a world where that didn’t happen. Imagine a world where we have full accountability instead of unjust authority. Imagine a world where there are no abuses or secrets.” “Are there unicorns and pixie dust in this world?” Maya asked. He smiled. “You think me naïve?”"

The waitress left. Corey turned toward Maya. “People think I want to weaken governments or businesses. Actually I want the opposite. I want to strengthen them by forcing them to do the right thing, the just thing. If your government or business is built on lies, then build them on truth instead. So no secrets. No secrets anywhere. If a billionaire is paying off a government official to get that oil field, let the people know. In your case, if your government is killing civilians in a war—”

You are forced to be what you are by a corrupt system. Part of me wants to reveal that because, again, the truth will indeed set you free. But you’d be irreparably harmed. Claire convinced me that if I did that, I’d be no better than my colleagues who nail small-time cheaters.” Maya was getting tired of the circling. “You were more interested in hurting the war cause than hurting me.”"

"“You know the phrase that behind every great fortune is a crime? It’s true. Oh, I’m sure you could find exceptions, but scratch the surface behind every major corporation and someone got paid off or someone intimidated the competition.” “And in this case?”"

"big donations. Shock alert: Money means power and gets you stuff. Judith went"

"The desire for privacy and discretion was understandable, of course—Maya didn’t want anybody knowing about her “disorder” either—but it was probably harmful too. Doctors kept stressing that mental disease was the same as physical disease. Telling someone who was clinically depressed, for example, to shake it off and get out of the house was tantamount to telling a man with two broken legs to sprint across the room. That was all well and good in theory, but in practice, the stigma continued."

"There was no reason to sleep. The sounds would come alive if she did. Maya knew that. Let them stay quiet a little while longer. Just sit here and watch Lily. Wouldn’t that be far more restful and peaceful than hopping on that nightmarish nocturnal gerbil wheel in her head? Maya"

Lies never die. You can try to smother them, but lies will always find a way to show themselves again.” Maya nodded. “That’s deep, Kierce.” He chuckled at that. 

Always better to be cautious. Things can always be said later, but things can never be unheard. Shane leaned close, made sure nobody could hear,"

"from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle via his creation Sherlock Holmes: “When you eliminate the impossible what remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Radio Ga-ga

I only get a chance to listen to the radio for any length of time on my commute to and from work. Normally around 30 minutes eachway.

A couple of stories in the last few days that have connections to me, showing that bullying and a lack of integrity is common place in a lot of areas. It's just becoming the norm.

Frank Field was interviewed on Radio Five Live's Drive programme. An MP criticising his own party as follows, a quote from BBC News

"The Birkenhead MP also blamed a "culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation" in local parties."

An article in the New Statesman also implies dishonesty in the party, 

"But the nature of his departure differs in several significant respects from that of John Woodcock, the only other Labour MP to have quit the PLP so far. Unlike Woodcock, who claimed an internal investigation into allegations of sexual harassment was rigged against him for factional purposes, and said Labour was unfit for government, Field remains a member of the party, although sources close to the leadership are claiming it is not possible to resign as a Labour MP and do so."

Spotted on iPlayer this morning was a programme in the Horizon series, I haven't had a chance to watch this yet, but I can guess some of the reasons that might be influential in why a programme called "Stopping Male Suicide" would be necessary.

"Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK - causing more deaths in this group than car accidents, and even more than cancer. This means that the most likely thing to kill Dr Xand Van Tulleken ishimself. And he wants to know why. In this sensitive film, Xand finds out what we know about why people develop suicidal thoughts, and whether there is anything that we can do about it."

Bullying, certainly in my case, is definity a contributory factor in leading me towards suicide. The bully doesn't care, and as the bully is normally in a positio of authority he/she can usually get away with it.

Integrity in reporting is questioned in a report on Radio 5 Live Drive on Friday 31st August 2018, more in the Daily Telegraph & Guardian articles on the same date. Innaccurate, openness, honesty and transparency are words used in the interview, as information from the Royal college of Obstretricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) was suppressed by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, who then paid RCOG to change the report.

Not on the radio, but a meeting this week with a courier who works for DHL revealed that the correct taking of breaks is still not taking place. This is an issue that was raised with DHL some time ago. It was included in the information sent to Barry Elrington with other Health and Safety issues as part of my STTT (Straight to the top) complaint, as acknowledged below.

Mike,

Following your complaints and e-mails I can advise that ;

• I have reviewed your case with John Morrison and the meeting of 30^th August where your concerns were raised and discussed.
• Regarding your e-mail of the 8^th October and subsequent photographs I have passed these onto our Head of Health and Safety who reviewed and sent one of his team into LBA SVC to review.
• I will be completing a follow up meeting with Nik and his team in week 44 – this is due to holidays and staff availability.

I will advise in due course

Regards

Barry

For anyone submitting what is allegedly a straight to the top complaint. Your complaint will neither go straight or to the top. In my case it was passed around and resulted in a meeting with an Area Manager who, in my opinion supported his bullying Manager.

Why would a courier "choose" to work through a break?
He/she doesn't have much choice.
His/her workload is such that he/she has to do this, or, face the consequences. Such is the power of the bully.

I have a number of PUD route reports, as shown earlier, on my "source Material" page. These reports show the number of couriers having to work through their break. Sorry,I'm sure that the correct DHL line would be choosing to work through their breaks.
I also have e-mails titled EODtemplate.doc. I have one of these emails that shows three couriers not taking a break because they were "helping LA22".
Would they have "chosen" to do this? or were they instructed to go and help LA22.