Anti-Suicide Program In U.S. Could Be Adopted By Hospitals In U.K

U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has called for a revamp in how the National Health Service (N.H.S.) handles suicides, urging hospitals to adopt a successful approach in Detroit in a mission to end such.

"Suicide is preventable, it is not inevitable," the deputy prime minister was quoted by BBC as saying. "We have to break this hidden assumption that nothing can be done to stop people killing themselves."

In England alone, more than 4,700 people committed suicide in 2013, an increase of more than 6 percent compared to the previous year.

"Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men under the age of 50 and if this was a physical health problem, there would be a national outcry."

The cited approach was established by the Henry Ford Medical Group in Detroit in 2001. The medical group's wide-ranging program included enhanced staff training and increased contact with patients. It also involves giving better education to families of people who are considered at risk to suicide.

Suicide rate among Henry Ford's patients dropped by 75 percent, and by 2008, suicides among patients have been stopped, the BBC reported.

Following Henry Ford's victory, Merseycare NHS Trust in Liverpool is starting a similar scheme which will create Safe from Suicide Team, a 24/7 group of experts who will assess patients with suicidal thoughts and improve the care of people with self-harm injuries.

The team has also been tasked to offer therapies on the spot and to follow up with people when they return home.

A safety plan for each person will also be developed, as pattern from Henry Ford's approach.

"Everything about that individual, their risk, their tendencies, everything we know should be incorporated into that safety plan, so that any professional that comes into contact with them can understand better what to do next," said Joe Rafferty, chief executive of the trust, as quoted by BBC.

It is expected that there will be a drop in the number of patients who commit suicide within 18 months, according to Dr. David Fearnley, medical director at the trust.