Samaritans response to Government's National Suicide Prevention Strategy

Responding to the Government's National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published today, Julie Bentley, CEO of Samaritans, said:

“It is great to see that the Government has responded to our calls for a new National Suicide Prevention Strategy in England.

“In particular, a ‘no wrong door’ approach to be taken by public services should mean people in need of support no longer falling through the gaps, but instead will be part of a joined-up system that recognises the challenges they face are complex and shouldn’t be taken in isolation. This new strategy should now act as the driver to ensure this coordinated approach happens across all government departments, as well as local authorities.

“However, a plan without proper funding is like a car with no petrol - it may look great but it’s not going to get you where you need to be.

“At Samaritans we want to get to the point of achieving the lowest suicide rates ever recorded in this country, but this takes both money and ambition. It is disappointing that the new strategy’s ambition on cutting suicide rates does not match our own but the Chancellor at least has the opportunity to deliver the much-needed funding in his November Budget. Saving lives is always the best possible investment.”

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