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Suicide is a devastating event and continues to be a major public health issue. In England, a person dies every two hours as a result of suicide. There is no single approach to suicide prevention. It requires co-ordination and contributions from public services and organisations, academic researchers, voluntary groups, the private sector and individuals.
Over the last 10 years, progress has been made in reducing the already relatively low suicide rate in England to record low levels (2007 was the lowest rate on record). However, there were still nearly 4,400 suicides in England in 2009, the latest year for which national data are available. The past couple of years have seen a slight increase in suicide rates, but the 2007-09 rate is still no higher than the level in 2005-07.
More information and resources are available from
The Government is committed to developing a new suicide preventation strategy for England. A draft strategy has been published for consultation. The aims are to reduce the suicide rate and improve support for those bereaved or affected by suicide. The draft strategy brings together knowledge about groups at higher risk of suicide, effective interventions and resources available. The closing date for consultation responses is 3 October 2011. Consultation responses will inform the final strategy, early in 2012.
