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Suicide Prevention Strategy delivery plan published

  • Area of Work: Policy and Research
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 9th July 2024
Graphic image of a clipboard with writing and two mobile phones next to it.

The Scottish Government has published Scotland’s suicide prevention strategy’s second year delivery plan.

The Scottish Government has published Scotland’s suicide prevention strategy’s second year delivery plan for 2024-26. The delivery plan sets out the actions for the current Creating Hope Together action plan.

The delivery plan details key milestones over 2024-25 and identifies some the partner organisations who will support implementation. It also outlines the progress made in 2023-24 and describes the actions which will be progressed over the next two years to help achieve short- and long-term outcomes. This plan will be reviewed in Spring 2025 and milestones for 2025/2026 will then be published.

Earlier in the year, the Health and Social Care Alliance (the ALLIANCE) responded to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s inquiry on the Scottish Government and COSLA’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032. After being invited to attend one of the Committee’s evidence sessions on Suicide Prevention in Scotland, which you can watch here, evidence provided by the ALLIANCE was highlighted to the Scottish Government.

It was noted that the ALLIANCE welcomes the latest Creating Hope Together strategy. We shared that we believe that it contains a lot of really good content, and there is good consideration of equalities and human rights and an engagement with lived experience. In common with other strategies, much of what will determine whether it is successful will be the action that is based on it and the funding that is attached to that, particularly for third sector organisations, which play a huge part in suicide prevention and work with people on an early intervention basis.

However consideration must also be made to groups experiencing health-harming behaviours such as gambling, alcohol, and drug misuse as such behaviours can disproportionately affect those facing socioeconomic deprivation and increase suicide rates. It is estimated that there are between 250 and 650 gambling-related suicides every year in the UK, so it is very important to consider gambling as part of it.

To achieve wraparound care, a “whole of community” and “no wrong door” approach to support, it is essential that there is consistent awareness of and support for suicide prevention across the policy landscape in Scotland.

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