AQW 1374/22-27


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 13/06/2022
Answered On Date: 21/06/2022
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) what new strategies and initiatives he is planning in order to aid suicide prevention efforts; and (ii) what support his Department gives to the community and voluntary sector organisations that are involved in this issue.


Answer:
The Protect Life 2 Strategy contains a wide range of actions to reduce suicide and self-harm in Northern Ireland. The implementation of the Strategy is taken forward through the Protect Life 2 Steering Group, and the Public Health Agency lead on the implementation of the Health Actions. A smaller number of actions are delivered through HSC Trusts.
Updates against all actions of the Protect Life 2 Strategy can be found at:
Protect Life 2: Action Plan brief update (health-ni.gov.uk)
Around £10m is invested each year by DoH on suicide prevention. Additional funding was sought on suicide prevention in the 2022-25 Draft Budget exercise to enable the commissioning of new suicide prevention services. However, the availability of funding will be determined by the budget allocation my Department receives once a budget is agreed. I am very conscious of pressing demands for extra funding across many areas of health and social care and as Minister, I will continue to do the best I can to deliver for the public with the resources I have available.
Subject to future funding Protect Life 2 aims to expand existing services including Multi Agency Triage Team, Self Harm Improvement Programme, Towards Zero Suicide, Training and awareness raising. New services are also planned around support for those bereaved by suicide, safety planning and promotion of self-care.
£3.49 million was given to Community and Voluntary Organisations under Protect Life 2 in 2021/22. £1.32 million was given to Community and Voluntary Organisations through small grants in 2021/22. Since March 2021 the Department has made available £16m through the Mental Health Support Fund which supports Community and Voluntary organisations that aim to improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of the population. A full list of supported projects can be found at: Mental Health Support Fund Round 1 Successful Applicants
Mental Health Support Fund Additional Funding and Successful Applicants