A leading psychiatrist is to visit Humber NHS Foundation Trust to help refine its strategy to reduce the number of people in Hull and East Riding who take their own lives.
Professor Nav Kapur, who leads the suicide work programme of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, will visit Trust headquarters in Willerby.
Michele Moran, the Trust’s Interim Chief Executive, said: “I’m very pleased Prof Kapur has agreed to visit us to share his thinking about suicide prevention.
“His knowledge and work in this field is outstanding and will help us shape our plans to reduce the number of people in Hull and East Riding who take their own lives.”
Prof Kapur, who is Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health at the University of Manchester, and Head of Research at its Centre for Suicide Prevention, will begin his visit by giving a presentation on suicide prevention.
Hosted by Trust Medical Director Dr Dasari Michael, he will then take part in two discussions, including one regarding Humber’s suicide strategy.
The blueprint is the cornerstone of the Trust’s efforts to reduce figures which show that 81 people in Hull and a further 78 in East Riding took their own lives between 2013 and 2015.
Dr Michael intends to present the full plan to the Trust Board meeting on 1 March.
He is working with local authorities in Hull and East Riding on the strategy and will link it to the Humber, Coast and Vale Sustainability and Transformation Plan.
The Plan is a vision for health and care which aims to help people “start well, live well and age well” while tackling a forecast funding gap of more than £420 million by 2020-21.
