Minister rules out review of suicide claims

The mental health minister, Kathleen Lynch, will not set up an “urgent” review into claims that people are dying by suicide despite seeking medical help, as there is “no evidence” they are sent home by doctors “too early”.

Speaking after the Psychiatric Nurses Association warned that dozens of people are dying needlessly due to the issue every year, the Labour TD said she has met with the HSE to discuss the “concerns”.

However, despite the medical union calling for an “urgent” review to examine what they claim is a hidden crisis, and calls for a new category in suicide reports to properly count these specific deaths, Ms Lynch said this “may not be practical”.

A spokesperson said the review is not warranted as there is currently “no evidence that people die by suicide because they have been discharged too early”.

She added that the large number of sources — including the coroner’s courts, Garda, and the medical cause of death certificate — mean it may not be feasible under the existing system to adequately categorise the deaths even if such a review were to take place.

The stance is likely to anger Psychiatric Nurses Association members, who last week warned dozens of people are dying every year after attempting to seek help from doctors or being sent home early from facilities.

Speaking at the medical union’s annual delegates meeting last Friday, PNA general secretary Des Kavanagh said the group is aware of 14 such suicides in the past 18 months in the Carlow-Kilkenny-South Tipperary area alone.

Warning that anecdotal evidence suggests the issue is being repeated across the country, he said the matter has to be tackled before more lives are lost.

“We have a situation where there is no system for identifying the number of persons who are denied admission to acute units or are discharged prematurely and later complete suicide,” Mr Kavanagh warned at the time.

The latest official figures from the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention annual report, released last September, show 495 people officially died by suicide in 2010, the most recent period available. However, it is not known how many of these people have died after cries for help.

A Department of Health spokesperson said that “best available research already suggests the majority of people who complete suicide visit a doctor in the weeks and months preceding a tragedy”, and that all unexplained deaths of mental health service users are “notified, managed and thoroughly investigated” under rules implemented in 2012.

“Furthermore, in the interest of openness and transparency all incidents in relation to the death of a service user are reported to the Mental Health Commission, which was not a requirement until very recently,” the spokesperson said.

* Console: 1800-201-890

* 1Life suicide prevention help line (manned 24/7 by medical experts): 1800-247-100

* HSE suicide prevention helpline: 1800-742-745