Require all emergency services to record staff suicides

There is no mandatory system for recording suicides among emergency service staff, which could lead to underreporting and opportunities for prevention. Mandatory recording could reveal the true scale of the problem and enable effective, evidence-based support to protect those who protect the public.

I want the government to do this because without mandatory recording, I believe the true scale of suicides among emergency service staff is hidden, patterns are missed, and opportunities to prevent deaths are lost. I believe accurate data is essential to create effective mental health support, policies, and protections for those who risk their lives to protect the public.

The Government is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all emergency service workers. Nearly every emergency services professional will be touched by suicide in some way during their career – whether through the loss of a patient, colleague or personal mental health struggles. The Government recognises the demanding nature of working in emergency settings, and that staff may require more complex mental wellbeing support due to the traumatic nature of their jobs.

Ambulance services

The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH) has been commissioned by NHS England to establish a national data collection on suicide by NHS staff. The commission runs from May 2023 to June 2026 with the principal aim of establishing a comprehensive data collection to be conducted on NHS staff who die by suicide.

As part of this work, NCISH will align NHS trust data collection with staff wellbeing, by developing a web resource to support staff wellbeing and to provide postvention guidance and examples of good practice, as well as information about the project. Additionally, NCISH are establishing a Standard Operating Procedure for Human Resources (HR) departments, designed to address the key queries raised by pilot HR professionals about engaging with this work, and provide a model for case ascertainment and completion of online data collection. The project will conclude in June 2026, and a report will be published setting out the findings and proposed next steps.

Additional information on the commission can be found on the NCISH website at the following link: https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/ncish/resources/suicide-in-nhs-staff-a-national-data-collection-to-inform-prevention/

The data collection on suicide by NHS staff will not be mandatory for NHS trusts. However, it marks an important step in improving understanding of the problem and will help to inform an evidence-based approach to health and wellbeing support, as well as helping prevent future deaths. The Association of Chief Executives and the Office of the Chief Allied Health Professional Officer have also launched a series of resources aimed at supporting the health and wellbeing of ambulance sector staff and preventing suicide in the ambulance service.

Police

This Government recognises that the current data on police officer suicides can be improved and is actively looking at ways to strengthen the quality and consistency of this information. We are already taking steps to improve data collection through existing mechanisms, including recent action by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to introduce mandatory suicide data collection across police forces, while continuing to explore what more can be done.

The Police Reform White Paper represents a significant opportunity to go further. By strengthening the Police Covenant and introducing mandatory national wellbeing standards, this Government will provide a clear and proportionate framework that builds on recent NPCC-led developments, improving police suicide data collection and ensuring consistent expectations across forces.

Fire and Rescue

The Fire and Rescue National Framework sets out that fire and rescue authorities (FRAs) should support the continuous improvement of their workforce. This includes promoting mental and physical wellbeing, advancing equality and diversity, and ensuring access to appropriate training and development.

As employers, FRAs are ultimately responsible for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The Framework directs all FRAs to have a people strategy that outlines the mental and physical health support available to their workforce.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) promotes good mental health across the sector through its Health and Wellbeing Framework. As part of this, the NFCC supported by Government grant funding has developed a Postvention Toolkit for the fire and rescue workforce.

Developed by the NFCC’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group in collaboration with the Fire Fighters Charity, the toolkit provides practical guidance to help fire and rescue service (FRS) personnel identify and support individuals, both colleagues and members of the public, who may be at risk of suicide. It includes advice on intervention, signposting to resources, and resilience-building tools.

Additionally, fire and rescue services in England are supporting staff mental health through occupational health access, training, peer networks, and assistance programmes. Overlaying this is the NFCC's comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Framework, which was developed with broad engagement across the fire and rescue sector. Where appropriate, NFCC and local services work with national organisations, such as the Fire Fighters Charity and Mind, to provide specialist advice and support.

Department of Health and Social Care