Suicide Prevention Agency Bill 2018

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Establish a Suicide Prevention agency within the Department of Health and to increase the number of hospital beds dedicated to Mental Health

Be it Enacted by being passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and presented to Her Majesty as follows:

Section 1- Definitions

Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing Promotion:

An approach characterised by a positive view of mental health, which aims to engage with people and empower them to improve their health, rather than emphasising illness or deficits.

Deliberate Self-Harm:

An act of self-poisoning or self-injury irrespective of the purpose of the act.

Suicidal Behaviour:

A general term to describe thoughts and acts of self-harm.

Suicide:

The act of deliberately ending one’s own life

Suicide Prevention:

Identifying and reducing the impact of risk factors associated with suicidal behaviour, and identifying and promoting factors that protect against engaging in suicidal behaviour.

Protect Life

A campaign run by the Northern Irish Department of Health from 2006 to 2013

Section 2 - Suicide Awareness Agency

That a “Suicide Awareness Agency” be instituted within the Department of Health

That the Agency shall be run independently of the Department and should raise awareness of issues such as:

a. Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing Promotion

b. Deliberate Self-Harm

c. Suicidal Behaviour

d. Suicide

e. Suicide Prevention

That the Agency be chaired by a committee of NHS professionals who work in the mental health sector

Section 3 - Changes to Hospitals

To ensure that every Hospital in Northern Ireland has a minimum of 1 Bed that is dedicated to suicide or related issues

For the number of beds dedicated to suicide to be a minimum of 5% of the total beds in a hospital

Section 4 - Advertisement

To restart the “Protect Life” campaign

For the Campaign to run at least until 2025

Section 4 - Costing

To raise the funding that is provided for Suicide Prevention to £7.5 million annually

For the “Protect Life” campaign to have an annual budget of £2 million a year

This bill was submitted by the First Minister, /u/eelsemaj99 on behalf of the UUP

This vote will end on the 16th of October at 10PM.