People suffering suicidal thoughts offered new path to immediate support

Published

2 years ago

October 9, 2022

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People suffering suicidal thoughts are being offered a new path to immediate support when they’re in crisis as part of a pilot in west London.

Psychiatrists are working side by side with experts from the mental health charity Mind in A&E to identify those in need and then divert them to one of three Safe Spaces in Hounslow, Hammersmith and Ealing.

The Safe Spaces provide a safe and more appropriate alternative to A&E departments for anyone over the age of 18 who are in or near mental health crisis. Trained staff are available to provide support and advice.

Liaison psychiatrist Dr Michael Yousif has been taking part in the trial since it began in January, and says that while A&E is the right place to come initially, individuals then have a route to crisis support in the community.

“There are some people who present in a crisis with a very real imminent risk of them hurting themselves or even killing themselves. But mental health services aren’t the right thing for them because it’s not necessarily part of an illness and there’s a risk of over medicalising their needs,” he said.

“Whilst you are in the midst of that crisis, being in A&E for hours and hours may actually exacerbate your levels of distress.

“What needs to happen for people in that situation is they need immediate help tailored to what they need in a much calmer setting.”

In December 2019, Susie Heyes, who is 52, took an overdose of medication. Over the following year she made two further suicide attempts.

“I just couldn’t cope with life anymore. My instinct was this has to stop,” she said.

“At the time I thought everyone was better off without me. I wasn’t thinking about the damage I was causing my family.”

A year ago, she began receiving support from the Safe Space in Ealing.

“Safe Space was invaluable. It was literally what the name says – it was a safe space – so much better than going to A&E, so much calmer. And there would always be something to do if I needed to just sit there and chill.”

Susie describes art as “the cornerstone” of her recovery and now volunteers at Safe Space, running an art workshop for others needing support.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed there were 5,583 suicides in England and Wales last year.

The majority of the those dying from suicide continue to be men – 74% in total.

But there’s a worrying increase in suicide among women aged 24 and under… up 57% since records began in 1981.

Keeley Tickner, service manager of Safe Space, has noticed more young women coming to them for support.

“There’s obviously the cost of living crisis. If you’re starting a new job or you’re going to university, you’ve got a new friendship group. I think there’s a lot going on in the world at the moment. It’s really difficult for everybody.”

She described the mental health crisis faced by so many across the country as “massive”.

“The NHS are brilliant and they’ve got a great mental health team and system but having that extra kind of support from charities like us is really important.

“We unpick the crises, the triggers, and then we’ll put a robust plan in place. We can relieve the burden on the NHS.”

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

UK

Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens

Published

29 mins ago

November 23, 2024

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Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens

Two people detained during a security incident at Gatwick Airport have been allowed to continue their journeys after a suspect package saw a “large part” of the South Terminal evacuated.

The terminal was closed for hours after the discovery of a “suspected prohibited item” in a passenger’s luggage sparked an emergency response. It reopened at around 3.45pm.

Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team “made the package safe” before handing the airport back to its operator, Sussex Police said.

Their statement continued: “Two people who were detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys.

“There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel.”

The force also thanked the public and airport staff for their patience while the incident was ongoing.

Earlier the airport, which is the UK’s second busiest, said the terminal was evacuated after a “security incident”.

“The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” it later said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

“The South Terminal is reopening to staff and will be open to passengers shortly.”

Gatwick said some flights were cancelled while others were delayed.

It said passengers should contact their airlines for any updates on flights.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of travellers heading away from the terminal building.

“Arrived at London Gatwick for routine connection. Got through customs to find out they’re evacuating the entire airport,” one passenger said.

“Even people through security are being taken outside. Trains shut down,” another passenger added, who said “thousands” of people were forced to leave.

Another passenger said people near the gates were being told to stay there and not go back to the departure lounge.

People outside the airport were handed blankets and water, passengers told Sky News.

The airport said its North Terminal was still operating normally.

Gatwick Express said its trains did not call at Gatwick Airport during the police response, but the airport said trains would start calling there again once the terminal was fully reopened.

More than 600 flights were due to take off or land at Gatwick on Friday, amounting to more than 121,000 passenger seats, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

UK

Starmer says UK will ‘set out a path’ to raise defence spending to 2.5%

Published

3 hours ago

November 23, 2024

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Starmer says UK will 'set out a path' to raise defence spending to 2.5%

The UK will “set out a path” to lift defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring, the prime minister has said, finally offering a timeframe for an announcement on the long-awaited hike after mounting criticism.

Sir Keir Starmer gave the date during a phone call with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, in the wake of threats by Moscow to target UK and US military facilities following a decision by London and Washington to let Ukraine fire their missiles inside Russia.

There was no clarity though on when the 2.5% level will be achieved. The UK says it currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence.

Ukraine war latest: Follow live updates

A spokeswoman for Downing Street said that the two men “began by discussing the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the importance of putting the country in the strongest possible position going into the winter”.

They also talked about the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Russia.

“The prime minister underscored the need for all NATO countries to step up in support of our collective defence and updated on the government’s progress on the strategic defence review,” the spokeswoman said.

“His government would set out the path to 2.5% in the spring.”

The defence review will also be published in the spring.

While a date for an announcement on 2.5% will be welcomed by the Ministry of Defence, analysts have long warned that such an increase is still well below the amount that is needed to rebuild the armed forces after decades of decline to meet growing global threats from Russia, an increasingly assertive China, North Korea and Iran.

They say the UK needs to be aiming to hit at least 3% – probably higher.

With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there will be significantly more pressure on the UK and other European NATO allies to accelerate increases in defence spending.