PAPYRUS welcomes Government’s new suicide prevention plan
- Suicide Prevention Minister will explore how latest technology – such as predictive analytics and artificial intelligence – could help identify those at risk of suicide;
- Government commits to improving data on suicide and other causes of death of veterans;
- Suicide Prevention Minister will track progress of suicide reduction and hold local government, the NHS, and the justice system to account.
The Minister for Suicide Prevention has today reinforced the Government’s commitment to reducing suicide in the UK, with a focus on how social media technologies can harness the latest technology – such as predictive analytics and artificial intelligence – to identify those at risk of suicide.
Setting out the first ever cross-Government suicide prevention plan, Jackie Doyle-Price has announced the Government will commit to improving data held on causes of death among veterans, protecting those more at risk and better understanding the triggers that can lead someone to take their own life, such as debt and gambling addiction.
More focus will also be given to addressing the increase in suicide and self-harm among young people while social media companies will also be asked to take more responsibility for harmful online content which illustrates and promotes methods of suicide and self-harm, in support of the Government’s efforts to address this in its upcoming Online Harms White Paper.
Jackie Doyle-Price, Suicide Prevention Minister: “I will be working with local councils, the NHS and the justice system to make sure suicide prevention plans are put in place across public services. Together, we will do everything in our power to meet our ambition to reduce suicides by at least 10% by 2020 – and I look forward to working collaboratively with social media and tech companies to help achieve our ambitions.”
Ged Flynn, PAPYRUS CEO: “PAPYRUS welcomes the Minister’s cross-Government suicide prevention plan. It places a strong focus on everyone working together towards national awareness of suicide prevention as a priority across government departments and all local communities. The technology and skill is there, we just need to test if the will is there to do this.”
