Sefton GPs to receive training to spot signs of suicide risk

Health professionals across Sefton are being offered specialist training to help spot the signs of young people contemplating suicide or self-harm.
 
Supported by Sefton Council’s Public Health team and Mersey Care NHS Trust, the Practise Hope initiative is a culture-changing mental health programme helping 10 to 25-year-olds who have thoughts of suicide who self-harm.
 
One of the aims of the training is to help break the stigma around challenging and difficult conversations about suicidal thoughts. The project also involves getting the views and experiences of young people in the area directly.
 
As part of the initiative, staff at a number of practices across Sefton will receive training in identifying the causes that can lead a young person to self-harm or have thoughts of suicide and discuss ways to improve how they can better support young people.
 
Participating practices include Ainsdale, Bridge Road, Christiana Hartley, Litherlands and Seaforth.
 
The specialist sessions will be delivered by Olly’s Future, a national suicide prevention charity and funded by the Zero Suicide Alliance.
 
Dr Dan Ellis, a GP at Litherland Medical Practice, has recently taken part in a Practise Hope training session.
 
He said: The importance of identifying young people who have thoughts of suicide or self harm is vital.
 
“As a GP I have seen a massive increase in the numbers of young people presenting with various mental health issues.
 
“Provision of support for younger people often seems less than that for adults, and certainly harder to access. As health professionals we all need to be well equipped in working with such patients – from our reception teams to our seasoned GPs and nurses.”
 
Dr Rory McGill, Consultant in Public Health at Sefton Council, said he was keen for the training to help break the stigma around talking about suicidal thoughts.
 
Dr McGill said: “It’s important that we all work toward getting rid of the stigma of talking about suicide.
 
“It is a conversation that saves lives. We need to bust the myth that starting the conversation about suicide causes harm; the evidence shows us that it does not.
 
“What it can do though is prevent a crisis point being reached in our young people, who could benefit from a referral to a range of resources we have available in Sefton. For the young person, having this discussion can be the opportunity they needed to relieve themselves of their thoughts by being emotionally open, promoting our connection to healing rather than promoting further shame and isolation.”
 
All GP practices across Sefton are being encouraged to sign up for the training, which runs over a three month period.
 
To find out more about getting involved in the initiative, please contact Linda Foster, Practise Hope Coordinator at Olly’s Future at [email protected]