Samaritans responds to government announcement on Suicide Prevention strategy
Responding to today’s announcement on a separate strategy for suicide prevention, Julie Bentley, Chief Executive of Samaritans, said:
“Saving lives can’t wait and I am pleased that the Government has listened to Samaritans’ calls for a dedicated suicide prevention strategy, but it will be totally meaningless without funding to back it up. So far there is no sign of the money needed to drive suicide rates down to their lowest level ever, which simply must be the goal.
“There will also be many people left disappointed by the lack of a dedicated strategy for mental health. There has been a huge turnaround in public perception of mental health as a priority issue in recent years, it’s a shame that the same can’t be said of government.”