Our project started with a shared vision to refresh the suicide prevention strategy. We started with conversations about peoples experiences, asking people to explore what has worked well to support people and identifying what really does not help. From these conversations we grew a range of experiences and views;
1. Peoples Experiences of reaching out for help when experiencing extreme distress and suicidal feelings
1.1. Primary Care – GP’s and Link Workers
1.2 Experiences at acute hospitals Accident & Emergency (A&E) Departments and interventions from Psychiatric Liaison which service users refer to as the crisis team.
1.3 Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Services (NSFT), including community care in the Integrated Delivery Teams (IDT), Inpatient experience, and Home Treatment Teams.
1.4 NSFT Recovery College
2. Living with suicidal thoughts
3. Reaching out for help and a need for early, helpful support
4. Experiences of supporting others in distress
5. Attitude of professionals
6. Social, economic, and COVID-19 pandemic factors
7. Suicide prevention in the workplace
8. Suicide Prevention Information
9. The need for connection
10. Localised support
11. Dual diagnosis
12. Language
13. Professional support
14. Building coproduction
Twenty experiences related to the response received at Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments in Suffolk and from Psychiatric Liaison, the mental health crisis service provided in acute trusts, by Norfolk And Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT).
We have already started working with NSFT, who have welcomed SUF and two of our service user members as partners at their Crisis Steering Group, so that we can begin working together, to coproduce improved outcomes for people receiving crisis support in A&E. These meetings have unfortunately been delayed due to the current lockdown and the refocus for NHS staff to support acute services and the NHS COVID response. Our first report containing peoples initial feedback and experiences has been shared with the Suicide Prevention Steering Group for North East Essex and East & West Suffolk. It can be read by clicking here.