Samaritans’ CEO Ruth Sutherland comments on £1bn funding for mental health services in England

SURREY, 12-1-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — Samaritans welcomes the £1bn funding for mental health services in England, as the first joined-up commitment to mental health.

Samaritans’ CEO Ruth Sutherland said: “The emphasis on care and treatment services is to be welcomed, but I hope that suicide prevention features more strongly in the forthcoming Mental Health Task Force report and the Government’s  response.

“Much can be achieved through local authority suicide prevention plans and we would like to see a joined -up approach here too, connecting all frontline staff.

“Government funding for additional support through A&E, which Samaritans has long been calling for, and more support in the community, is good news. However, we have to make sure that this is implemented effectively across the country.

“Suicides have been rising and more needs to be done to tackle high rates in the main at risk group, middle-aged working class men.

“Seventy two  per cent of people who take their own lives have not been in touch with the mental health services in the twelve months before their death*, so the wider the reach of those services, the better.”

– Ends –

Notes to editors:

• You don’t have to be suicidal to call us, whatever you are going through call us free anytime from any phone on 116 123
• For more information contact Sue Royal in the Samaritans press office on 0208 394 8348

*Manchester University

SOURCE: Samaritans