Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a yearly evaluation of the suicide prevention training programme; and what steps he is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability in the programme.

As part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future, we have set out our commitment to deliver a renewed drive to tackle the biggest killers, including suicide, while ensuring people live well for longer. As part of this, an additional 8,500 mental health workers will be recruited across children and adult mental health services, and those new workers will be specially trained to support people at risk.

We recognise that bringing in the staff needed will take time, as will ensuring they have the necessary training. We are working to develop a plan to deliver this expansion of the mental health workforce, including where they should be deployed to achieve maximum effect.

The NHS is committed to ensuring that all healthcare professionals receive the necessary mental health training to meet the current and future needs of patients. In September 2023, NHS England published its suicide prevention toolkit for NHS staff to use.