Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what national guidance exists on safe discharge practices for mental health inpatients at risk of suicide.

Planning for discharge should start at admission and continue throughout a patient’s stay, with responsible agencies collaborating from an early stage to ensure safe and timely discharge, appropriate community support, and effective section 117 aftercare where applicable. Statutory guidance on discharge from mental health hospitals was published in 2024 under the National Health Service Act 2006. It emphasises the importance of communication and collaboration between responsible agencies to ensure the patient’s safe and timely discharge and continued care and support after hospital.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also published guidance on safe discharge practices for mental health inpatients at risk of suicide which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng225/chapter/Recommendations#admission-to-and-discharge-from-hospital

The Mental Health Act 2025 also strengthens decision-making around discharge by requiring responsible clinicians to consult another professional before discharging a patient from the act, and by introducing statutory care and treatment plans, including discharge planning. These reforms are intended to support more robust discharge decisions, improve patient involvement, and help ensure that appropriate support is in place following discharge.

Finally, the Staying safe from suicide guidance published last year by NHS England means all mental health practitioners must align their practice to the latest evidence in understanding and managing suicide. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicide/

An accompanying e-learning package is available to all NHS and non-NHS mental health staff.