£1m boost to bereavement care to cope with suicide
PEOPLE who have lost loved ones to suicide will soon be able to benefit from specialised bereavement care.
The Government has set aside £1million to help several regions across the country provide personalised support.
North Cumbria, Derbyshire, West Yorkshire and Harrogate, Rutland, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire will soon be able to offer specialist suicide bereavement support, such as one-to-one sessions with counsellors and personalised mental health advice.
Other areas to benefit from the scheme include Buckinghamshire, Devon, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West and some parts of London.
A total of £57million will be ploughed in to the scheme, which ministers hope will be expanded across the rest of the country by 2024.
Nadine Dorries, minister for mental health and suicide prevention, said anyone who has been affected by suicide will be able to access the practical and emotional support.
She said: “When a loved one takes their own life, those left behind can suffer indescribable pain and grief – something I have experienced first-hand.
“Every suicide is a tragedy, which is why I am determined to tackle its root causes. But it is also important to support those coming to terms with a loss, ensuring they have access to the right types of sensitive support.
“This funding is part of our wider commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan to implement suicide bereavement care, making a real difference to people’s lives.”
Claire Murdoch, NHS national director for mental health said the specialised bereavement services would serve as a real “lifeline for families who are at heightened risk themselves of experiencing mental health problems”.
And Ruth Sutherland, chief executive of Samaritans, told how the Government investment in dedicated support services “cannot come soon enough”.
She said: “Grief is different for everyone, and anyone who is bereaved will need support that is tailored to their individual needs.
“Research has shown that postvention support can help people bereaved by suicide to deal with the thoughts and emotions they experience and reduce their feelings of distress.”
IT’S impossible to comprehend the agonising pain someone experiences when a loved one takes their own life.
Research suggests up to 135 people may be impacted by each suicide and those left behind are incredibly vulnerable.
Grief is isolating and lonely, something, like suicide, that no one wants to talk about. People often don’t know where to turn or, worse, feel that no one can help them.
Recently, I spoke out about how I was affected by the suicide of a loved one.you ask yourself why, over and over, and trawl through every conversation, searching for clues. “If only” plays in your mind on a loop. You are left with a sense of helplessness.
Lowering the suicide rate is a priority but it is also crucial to ensure sensitive support is available to those left behind.
Today’s announcement of dedicated suicide bereavement support services is an important milestone in our ambition to transform the nation’s mental healthcare – a big step forward so that no one feels the heartache of suicide alone.
‘A lifeline for families’