Suicide

PFD Category
Reports: 841 Areas: 72 Earliest: Feb 2015 Latest: 12 Mar 2026

83% response rate (above 62% average). 55% of classified responses show concrete action taken. Reports rose 26% from 117 (2023) to 148 (2024).

PFD Reports
841 results
Gemima Christodoulou-Peace
All Responded
2024-0391 22 Jul 2024 Suffolk
Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns summary Clinicians lack a central resource to identify medications increasing suicidal behaviour, call recordings for remote interactions are limited, and there were significant delays in accessing mental health services and medication reviews despite escalating patient distress.
Action taken summary The DHSC reports that NHS England's Shared Care Records (since 2021) allow sharing of patient medication information. Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) implemented system changes and a S
Russell Irvine
All Responded
2024-0393 22 Jul 2024 Durham & Darlington
[REDACTED]
Concerns summary Prison staff failed to escalate or monitor a prisoner's reported refusal of food and fluids, highlighting a national absence of formal policy for monitoring prisoner meal collection.
Action taken summary HMPPS disputes the need for a single formal policy or form to monitor prisoner food intake, citing operational impracticality across the prison estate. Instead, they will write to all Governors to rem
Anna Elliot
All Responded
2024-0386 18 Jul 2024 Inner North London
East London Foundation Trust (ELFT)
Concerns summary The unit experienced widespread poor record-keeping, inadequate observation chart entries, and a rising trend of missed and falsified observations, indicating a failure to adhere to critical safety protocols despite training and previous PFD reports.
Action taken summary The Trust has implemented several actions, including covering admin offices during handovers, rolling out a new patient ID checking process, and launching a refreshed observation policy with mandatory
Deborah Cooper
All Responded
2024-0395 18 Jul 2024 Wiltshire & Swindon
Department for Science Innovation & Technology
Concerns summary A book detailing suicide methods is freely available on Amazon UK, and existing legislative frameworks, including the Suicide Act and Online Safety Act, appear ineffective in preventing its marketing and supply.
Action taken summary The department clarifies that the Online Safety Act protects children from harmful content related to suicide/self-harm but does not prevent adults from accessing legal content. It notes that enforcem
Glenn Jacques and Ben Whiteman and Callum Clark
No Identified Response
2024-0376 16 Jul 2024 Durham & Darlington
Northern Rail
Concerns summary The railway station, a known location for suicides, met the 'hotspot' criteria with three incidents in 12 months, despite previous categorisation suggesting otherwise.
Jessica de Souza
All Responded
2024-0407 16 Jul 2024 Surrey
National Institute for Health and Clini… Royal Pharmaceutical Society BMJ Group
Concerns summary Clinicians relied on potentially misleading guidance to prescribe aripiprazole as a monotherapy for bipolar disorder, which was ineffective in protecting the patient from depressive relapse.
Action taken summary The Royal Pharmaceutical Society clarified that the BNF monograph for aripiprazole only covers prevention of mania, not bipolar depression, and stated they do not believe their guidance was misleading
Megan Davison
All Responded
2024-0373 15 Jul 2024 Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated… Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns summary A national lack of diagnosis and integrated treatment pathways for Type 1 Diabetes with Eating Disorder (T1DE) and DKA, alongside an inability to share patient records with private providers, impedes comprehensive care.
Action taken summary Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB has an integrated T1DE clinical pathway in the west of the county and a similar service commissioned for the east and north, working towards full implementation by Jan
Judith Obholzer
All Responded
2024-0377 12 Jul 2024 Inner West London
NHS England South West London and St George’s Menta… Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns summary Insufficient clarity and integration between private and NHS mental health services led to poor information sharing, difficult crisis team referrals, and delayed treatment plans for patients.
Action taken summary NHS England details increased investment in mental health services and the use of the National Care Records Service to improve information sharing. It also notes ongoing work to review the interface w
Benjamin Faux
All Responded
2024-0365 10 Jul 2024 Berkshire
Reading University Universities UK
Concerns summary The university failed to provide adequate pastoral care for taught research students, lacked processes for monitoring engagement and ensuring follow-through on study suspensions, and staff underestimated mental health risks.
Action taken summary The University of Reading is implementing a range of planned actions by September 2024, including reviewing and updating staff welfare training, drafting new guidance for academic advisors, and creati
Lee McHale
Partially Responded
2024-0356 3 Jul 2024 Manchester South
Communities & Local Government Ministry of Housing
Concerns summary The 'bedroom tax' caused significant housing benefit shortfalls, leading to rent arrears and fear of eviction for a former foster parent, contributing to their fatal overdose.
Action taken summary The DWP acknowledged the concerns regarding the 'bedroom tax' and its impact on the deceased. It explained the existing Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) scheme for additional housing support and st
Nicola Lacey
All Responded
2024-0340 26 Jun 2024 Herefordshire
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health…
Concerns summary The provided text describes the deceased's intentions related to suicide but does not detail any specific systemic failures or risks of future deaths identified by the coroner.
Action taken summary The Trust has developed and implemented two new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), one for working hours and one for out of hours, to clarify and ensure staff follow procedures for disclosing a col
Michelle Moore
All Responded
2024-0349 26 Jun 2024 Somerset
Somerset Foundation Trust NHS England National Institute for Healthcare and C…
Concerns summary There was a lack of joined-up care between menopause and mental health treatment, compounded by a poor understanding of their link and an absence of national guidance or training.
Action taken summary NHS England has commissioned menopause champions to develop national education and training, funded specialist training places, and developed and is rolling out a Women’s Health Pathway. They also ref
Isobel Stapleton
All Responded
2024-0341 25 Jun 2024 South Wales Central
Welsh Government Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Boa…
Concerns summary Mental health practitioners lack easy access to complete patient records across Wales and NHS England. Acute and home treatment teams also suffer from a lack of clinical psychologists and lengthy psychotherapy waiting lists.
Action taken summary The Welsh Government is developing a business case for the phased introduction and deployment of mental health digital systems across NHS Wales to improve electronic record access and data sharing. Th
Liam McCarlie
All Responded
2024-0337 24 Jun 2024 Northamptonshire
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Tru… Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board
Concerns summary Mental health professionals in Emergency Operations Centres lack access to vital community mental health records, hindering informed triage and ambulance dispatch for patients with mental health needs.
Action taken summary Northamptonshire ICB and NHFT, working with EMAS, implemented a 24/7 mental health crisis service in late 2023, providing ambulance service access to mental health practitioners within an hour. EMAS i
Thomas Geraghty
All Responded
2024-0362 21 Jun 2024 East Sussex
Chelsfield Surgery
Concerns summary A patient was deregistered from their GP surgery without notification, discontinuing vital antipsychotic medication. There is no process to ensure continuity of essential prescriptions when patients are removed, risking their health.
Action taken summary Chelsfield Surgery has updated its Removal of Patients Policy, making it a mandatory requirement for the Safeguarding Lead to be consulted before patient deductions. They have also implemented a new a
Shelemiah Peterkin
All Responded
2024-0332 20 Jun 2024 Birmingham and Solihull
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health F…
Concerns summary Staffing shortages caused delays in mental health referrals and patient care. Additionally, early warning sign assessments were not completed to standard, and action plans to improve this were missed.
Action taken summary Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust has successfully recruited to all vacant posts in the Lyndon CMHT and increased workforce capacity through additional investment. They have a
Lee-Ann Ince
All Responded
2024-0333 20 Jun 2024 Manchester South
Greater Manchester Integrated Care
Concerns summary Agencies supporting the victim lacked understanding of coercive control and the impact of "love bombing." Children's concerns were overlooked, and the victim's physical health vulnerability was not recognised, increasing her risk.
Action taken summary GMIC acknowledges the concerns and states that partners have convened a working group and will implement "tangible actions" and improvements, with timelines, as detailed in an attached document. GMIC
Nicola Forster
All Responded
2024-0334 20 Jun 2024 Bedfordshire and Luton
Metropolitan Police Service
Concerns summary A culture of institutional defensiveness and poor management persists within the Metropolitan Police Service, with junior officers fearing speaking out and senior management failing to address concerns independently.
Action taken summary The Metropolitan Police has updated its 'Raising Concerns' policy, guidance for inquest witnesses, and managers' guidance for situations following a colleague's death. They have also introduced chief
Aaron Deeley
All Responded
2024-0331 19 Jun 2024 Essex
Essex Partnership University NHS Trust NHS England Mid & South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Concerns summary Patients held under Section 5(2) MHA in acute wards lack a Responsible Clinician or Mental Health Liaison assessment. Acute staff lack specialist mental health training, and policy for 1:1 observation is confusing, leaving a critical protocol gap.
Action taken summary NHS England referred to existing national guidance for liaison mental health services and noted that Mid & South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust have e
Jacob Shorter
All Responded
2024-0328 18 Jun 2024 South Yorkshire West
Calderdale Council
Concerns summary Crucial information about previous suicidal ideation was not shared with foster carers. Calderdale Council lacks clear training and escalation routes for mental health concerns, creating a risk of future deaths.
Action taken summary Calderdale Council disputes the necessity of the PFD report, stating their Independent Visitor service adheres to existing safeguarding guidance. However, as a direct result of the incident, they plan
Amina Ismail
All Responded
2024-0320 14 Jun 2024 Manchester South
NHS England Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns summary Delays in transferring mental health patients from independent providers resulted from underfunded local beds, an over-reliance on external services, and a national shortage of specialist rehabilitation units.
Action taken summary NHS England has launched the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation programme (2022), published the Commissioning Framework for Mental Health Inpatient Services
Christopher Larsen
All Responded
2024-0318 13 Jun 2024 Rutland and North Leicestershire
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Concerns summary Mental health MDT meetings suffered from poor attendance by those familiar with the patient and inadequate documentation of risk assessment decisions, while a nurse failed to review medical records.
Action taken summary The Trust has introduced a specific prompt for staff to review patient records before 'Safe and Well' calls, updated its Standard Operating Procedure to explicitly require this, and reminded all staff
Daniel Beckford
No Identified Response
2024-0607 11 Jun 2024 Inner West London
HMP Wandsworth HMPPS
Concerns summary Prison officer first aid training lacked clarity on using rescue breaths during resuscitation, conflicting with current Resuscitation Council UK guidance.
Sailor Court
All Responded
2024-0434 10 Jun 2024 South London
NHS England Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns summary Unacceptably long and increasing waiting times for CAMHS assessment and treatment, due to a severe lack of resources, pose a significant risk to young people's mental health.
Action taken summary NHS England highlights significant investment and a 46% increase in the children and young people's mental health workforce since 2019 under the Long Term Plan. They note ongoing work on a Long Term W
Fern Foster
Partially Responded
2024-0311 7 Jun 2024 Buckinghamshire
Association of Ambulance Chief Executiv… NATIONAL AMBULANCE SERVICE MEDICAL DIRE… National Ambulance Resilience Unit +1 more
Concerns summary Ambulance triage for suspected poisoning is too slow for timely intervention, and paramedics do not carry crucial antidotes for on-scene administration, potentially preventing deaths.
Action taken summary NARU plans to hold a Clinical Subgroup meeting in September to discuss poisoning and other toxicological matters, including reviewing evidence from trials and potentially creating a unified trial acro