‘Getting Support Saved My Life’ – On World Suicide Prevention Day, NHS North East and Yorkshire Urges People to Seek Help
Trigger Warning: Suicide. This press release contains discussion of suicide, which some readers may find distressing.
World Suicide Prevention Day takes place on Wednesday 10 September, and is an opportunity to remind people about the help and support that is available across the North East and Yorkshire.
People experiencing suicidal thoughts can often find it hard to talk about their feelings. The focus for World Suicide Prevention Day this year is ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’, which encourages people to speak and reduce stigma.
Joanne Poole, Head of Clinical Programmes for Mental Health at NHS England North East and Yorkshire, said: “As part of the 10 Year Health Plan, and thanks to ongoing efforts from NHS teams across our region, we’re working closely with our system partners to improve mental health services for our population.
“People can access emotional support through NHS Talking Therapies. They do not need to have a diagnosed mental health condition to refer themselves to NHS talking therapies and get the support they need.
“Last year, we confirmed that anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can now benefit from support through NHS 111. People in crisis or concerned loved ones can call 111, select the mental health option and access a trained mental health professional, who can guide and support them with next steps such as face-to-face community support or access to crisis alternative services.”
Another service that provides free support is James’ Place – a charity offering life-saving therapy to suicidal men, with centres in Newcastle, Liverpool and London.
James’ Place understands the importance of conversation in supporting local men in suicidal crisis. From its Newcastle centre, the charity works to save local men’s lives by offering through free treatment from trained therapists in a friendly, non-clinical environment. The charity aims to see men for an initial assessment within two working days of them seeking help.
In 2024-25 alone, James’ Place provided 475 men in the North East with life-changing, professional support to help them turn their lives around.
Andrew Thomson, 43, from North Shields (pictured), was referred to James’ Place last year after he found himself in a mental health crisis with plans to end his own life. He said: “There was so much happening in my life. Work was cutting my hours, and I was finding it hard to make ends meet. I was dealing with an undiagnosed neurodivergence, and I was binge drinking to cope.”
Thanks to James’ Place, Andrew received therapy that helped to save his life, and is now working to set up in business as a photographer.
Andrew continued: “Just being able to get it all out and off my chest and speak to someone who helped me organise those feelings and prioritise what I needed to work on first. That was huge for me, absolutely huge. My life has turned around.
“I’m not saying I’m perfect – I’ve still got problems, but I’m able to handle problems and situations a lot better. James’ Place really helped me when I needed it most. My life has changed since I went to them for support.”
Men can self-refer or be referred to James’ Place by a professional including those working in health and community services, or by a friend or family member. Visit www.jamesplace.org.uk for more information.
The NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has made a grant to support James’ Place in Newcastle. Levi Buckley, chief delivery officer at the ICB said: “Talking, sharing and getting support can make a huge difference if you are feeling in crisis or despair, so it’s a real help for men to have support available from James’ Place.
“We have good mental health services in our region but we know there is more to do, and we are working hard to add new support. We are developing a range of mental health safe havens, with the first already open in Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle, and a 24-hour crisis texting service is now available.
“These new services are in addition to things like NHS Talking Therapies and mental health crisis support available through NHS 111.”
Although men are less likely to use NHS Talking Therapies than women, patient experience surveys show 92% of male patients who completed their session felt they received the help they needed during all, or most of their treatment, with 94% feeling therapy staff always listened and treated their concerns seriously.
Elsewhere in our region, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board became the first ICB in England to introduce mandatory suicide prevention training for all staff in 2023. Since then, they’ve delivered over 100 training sessions to more than 1,500 health and care colleagues. What began as a programme for ICB staff quickly grew to offer bespoke, specialised training for a wide variety of clinical roles and settings.
Further information
NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression can be found on the NHS website. For urgent help with mental health issues, call 111 or visit NHS 111 online.
The NHS continues to advise people to call 999 if there is a serious risk to life – if you or someone else is in danger, call 999 or go to A&E now.
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