The suicide rate in the North East is twice that of London - with our region the worst-affected part of England and Wales.
This comes after North East charity boss Matthew Smith completed a 300-mile run from County Durham to Downing Street in order to deliver a letter demanding that Levelling Up includes suicide prevention. Figures released earlier in September show that, for suicides registered in 2021, the age-standardised mortality rate in our area is 14.1 deaths per 100,000 people.
That's an increase on 2020 (when the North East rate was 13.3. By comparison, the England and Wales average rate was 10.7 while the region least impacted - London - has a rate of more than half that of the North East at just 6.6.
Blaydon MP Liz Twist chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on suicide and self-harm prevention. She has previously spoken movingly about how she has been personally impacted by this - her husband died by suicide. She said the new figures were "horrifying".
She added: "It is frankly horrifying to see that the north east once again has the highest number of people dying by suicide and the proportion of lives lost here to suicide rising."
"Suicide is preventable, not inevitable, and the Government must step up its work on suicide prevention, working across departments, to reduce deaths by suicide. These statistics are real people and it affects their family and friends and the people they knew.
Matthew Smith runs the suicide prevention charity If U Care Share, based in County Durham. Last week he delivered a letter outlining how he wants to see mental health prioritising as part of the Levelling Up agenda with suicide prevention explicitly referenced. This letter had also been co-signed by representatives from charities Samaritans, Beyond, Chasing the Stigma, PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, and James’ Place. He also raised more than £30,000.
He met with both Ms Twist and Sir Lindsay Hoyle, speaker of the House of Commons who has also close experience of suicide. Ms Twist added: "[Matthew's] call for suicide prevention to be included in the government's Levelling Up agenda and not just left to health is really important and I congratulate him not just on his magnificent run or his fundraising, but on his determination that the Government accept that link between the conditions which people live under and their difficulties.
"Whether it is poor housing, deprivation, lack of employment and so many other factors – it is clear that these issues really do affect people and often play a part in suicidal thoughts and actions."
She said she would be supporting Matthew's push for socio-economic factors which affect suicide to be addressed by Government.
Matthew added: "Arriving at Downing Street, unfortunately the security was ridiculous - but we were able to meet with Sir Lindsay Hoyle the speaker. I spoke to him and of course it's an issue very close to his heart too. The run was a fantastic experience and I'm so proud at what I've achieved and what we've achieved as a collective.
"The hard work still continues though. The problem is that it is less and less shocking, but it really should be. Simply, it's just wrong - this shouldn't be the case and it's very much the reason we have done what we have done [delivered the letter]. We have to shine a light on this.
"Every day should be a suicide prevention day. Yes it is talking about suicide but it's doesn't always have to be that, sometimes it's just checking in with the people you care about."
Statistics on suicide are based on the year of death registration – because of registration delays, around half of these deaths will have occurred in the previous year
The Government has said it is investing £57m in suicide prevention through the NHS Long-term Plan - and this would include developing suicide bereavement services across the country. It is also pointing to £2.3bn in additional funding for mental health services by 2024.
Earlier this year, the Government held a call for evidence "on what can be done across government in the longer term to support mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention". The Gov't are analysing the responses.
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