New funding announced for Samaritans helpline as suicide prevention minister appointed

Action to drastically reduce the number of suicides has been announced by the government, with a pledge to keep the Samaritans’ helpline free for the next four years.

Up to £1.8m has been promised to help the charity provide “immediate” and “life-saving” support to those struggling with mental health.

The sum makes up around 10% of its total costs.

A minister for suicide prevention has also been appointed for the first time, to mark World Mental Health Day this Wednesday.

Jackie Doyle-Price, already a junior health minister, will take on the additional role.

Around 4,500 people take their own lives each year in England, and suicide remains the biggest cause of death for men under 45.

The number of people who kill themselves has reduced over the last 25 years – more than halving among women but only gradually declining among men.

Prime Minister Theresa May will say at a reception on Wednesday that there should be “true parity” between mental and physical health and that “we can prevent the tragedy of suicide taking too many lives”.

She will also announce a new recruitment drive for specialist support teams to work in schools and help improve young people’s mental health.

And Mrs May has promised to ensure “every local area has an effective suicide prevention plan in place”.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the appointment of Ms Doyle-Price as minister for suicide prevention, saying she would “make a real difference”.

He admitted the government “needs to do more to challenge the stigma that people with mental ill-health face” but that “we are determined to do everything we can to tackle the tragedy of suicide”.

Campaigners have been calling for a minister to take direct responsibility for suicide prevention.

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) launched a petition calling for a government figure to be “held accountable for delivering change on the issues of suicide prevention and bereavement support”.

It has gathered over 390,000 signatures.

The charity told Sky News that it was “thrilled” at the announcement and has “high hopes for the Minister’s potential impact, through shining a light on suicide and its devastating effects, de-stigmatising the issue, and continuing to build support for all those affected across the UK”.

:: A stranger saved me from jumping off a bridge

The shadow minister for mental health Barbara Keeley said the focus on suicide prevention was long overdue.

“Mental Health services are still being underfunded by the Conservative government, with one in 10 CCGs failing to meet the mental health investment standard in the last year – that is leading to adults having to wait as many as four months for treatment in certain areas, while one in four children are being rejected for treatment after referral,”she said.

Ministers have already pledged to reduce the number of suicides in England by 10% by 2021.

Then-health secretary Jeremy Hunt also called in January 2018 for NHS trusts to draw up plans to achieve “zero suicides”.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

(c) Sky News 2018: New funding announced for Samaritans helpline as suicide prevention minister appointed