The Scottish Government’s proposal not to publish a new suicide prevention plan until September 2022 will leave a “dangerous blank", the Scottish Liberal Democrats have warned.
Every Life Matters, Scotland's Suicide Prevention Action Plan was published in 2018 and is scheduled to expire at the end of 2021, which will leave a gap of almost a year before a new strategy is introduced.
Statistics published by Public Health Scotland show there were 833 probable suicides registered in Scotland in 2019 - an increase from 784 in 2018.
A new long-term suicide prevention strategy will be published in September 2022. The delivery of actions in the current Suicide Prevention Action Plan will continue until that point, the Scottish Government confirmed on Friday.
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: “The government knew that the current plan would expire this year, but once again have not thought about what comes next.
"It is unacceptable that we will be waiting up to a year before a replacement plan is in place. The government should have started working on a follow up long before now, to ensure a seamless transition.
“There was already a mental health crisis in Scotland, and the pandemic only made that worse.
"Issues like suicide prevention shouldn’t be this low on the government’s list of priorities. We need coordinated and targeted action to get people the support they need.
“Alongside a new plan to immediately follow the current one, we need a serious expansion of the mental health workforce to end the waiting times scandal, fast access to talking therapies and new 24/7 crisis care.
“A gap between suicide prevention plans invites tragedy. There is no excuse for such complacency.”
A new long-term suicide prevention strategy will be published in September 2022.
— Scot Gov Health (@scotgovhealth) June 18, 2021
The delivery of actions in the current Suicide Prevention Action Plan will continue until that point.
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Kevin Stewart, Minister for Mental Welbeing, said: "The Scottish Government’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan was published in 2018.
"Many of the key actions in the Plan have been delivered, including the launch of Scotland’s social movement: ‘United to Prevent Suicide’; production of learning resources to support suicide prevention; and guidance to encourage, inform, and support local suicide prevention approaches.
"Pilot services to support those bereaved by suicide will go live this summer and work continues to develop processes for reviews of all deaths by suicide.
"Our Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan sets out our commitment to work with COSLA and stakeholders to produce a new long-term suicide prevention.
"The new strategy will be outcomes-focussed, and its development will be directed by the voices of lived experience. It will be informed by data and evidence, and adopt a cross-government approach to ensure the Government continues to take all actions it can to reduce the number of people who die by suicide. The new strategy will be published in September 2022, supported by a full delivery plan.
"In the meantime, continued focus, pace and evaluation on suicide prevention will be achieved by extending activities under the current Action Plan for a further year, up to the point the successor strategy is published. This approach has full backing from partners, including COSLA and the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group.
"This approach will be backed by additional spending on suicide prevention in 2021-22, through our £120 million Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund."
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