Recurring concern

Unreliable Occupational Health support before and during assessment

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First reported 4 Mar 2016•Latest report 14 Jan 2025

Definition

What this concern includes

Includes failures in Occupational Health arrangements for timely assessment access and related pre-assessment safety support, including appointment access, response to disclosed suicidal thoughts, interim adjustments and coordination before Occupational Health assessment.

Not included

Excludes general healthcare or mental-health service access failures that are not specifically connected to Occupational Health assessment or its pre-assessment support.
Excludes clinical care after an Occupational Health assessment has been completed when the Occupational Health access and support process itself was reliable.
Excludes generic staffing, communication or training deficiencies unless they directly impair Occupational Health assessment access or safety support before assessment.
Excludes routine employment, attendance or administrative processes without a safety-relevant Occupational Health assessment or support deficiency.

Reports: 2
Individual concerns: 2
Date range: 2016–2025
Stated actions: 4

Reports over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

College of Policing1

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service1

National Police Chiefs’ Council1

West Yorkshire Police1

Concerns and responses across reports

Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

14 Jan2025
Manchester North
Concerns raised1
1. Unclear imminent adjustments for police officers disclosing suicidal thoughts before occupational health assessment
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 3
1. Action
  Support forces to adopt the national suicide action plan and conduct the scheduled September 2025 self-assessment review.
  Stated by College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ CouncilStated planned
2. Action
  Roll out the national mental-health crisis line for police officers and staff.
  Stated by College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ CouncilStated planned
3. Action
  Clarify to forces that managers should consider directing staff with serious disclosures to urgent NHS or local mental-health crisis services.
  Stated by College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ CouncilStated planned
AI-generated summary

Anugrah Abraham (“Anu”) · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Anugrah Abraham (“Anu”), a serving West Yorkshire police officer, died by hanging on 4 March 2023 after leaving home the previous afternoon; the inquest recorded a conclusion of suicide. The report identified concerns about the management of his mental health, including delayed and inadequate Occupational Health responses, unclear action when he disclosed suicidal thoughts, poor information sharing, and aspects of the PCDA and Regulation 13 processes.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Unclear imminent adjustments for police officers disclosing suicidal thoughts before occupational health assessment
Wider context from the report
“3. The court heard as to the increase in mental health issues amongst Police Officers nationally. Despite this, the question of what imminent adjustments should be made or considered once an officer discloses suicidal thoughts, was unclear. This is before an OHU appointment. In this case Anu’s mental deterioration was reportedly directly linked to his role as a police officer. It is acknowledged that this is a difficult issue and there will be issues such as confidentiality to consider. ”
Source location
Anugrah Abraham (“Anu”) · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Support forces to adopt the national suicide action plan and conduct the scheduled September 2025 self-assessment review.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The national suicide action plan was launched in July 2024, and this was raised during the inquest in terms of force compliance, line manager guidance and also the proposal to fund national mental health crisis line exclusively for police officers and staff.”

Source location
Response from College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council
Page 4 · response
Published 15 January 2025
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Roll out the national mental-health crisis line for police officers and staff.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The national suicide action plan was launched in July 2024, and this was raised during the inquest in terms of force compliance, line manager guidance and also the proposal to fund national mental health crisis line exclusively for police officers and staff.”

Source location
Response from College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council
Page 4 · response
Published 15 January 2025
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Clarify to forces that managers should consider directing staff with serious disclosures to urgent NHS or local mental-health crisis services.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The mental health crisis line will be rolled out nationally from April 2025 with an ambition for all forces to be covered by March 2026. The crisis line will provide managers with a degree of support when faced with an ‘imminent’ risk because they will be able to promote and signpost staff towards it. However, it is the view of the NPCC Health Safety and Wellbeing Board that, when faced with disclosures of such a serious nature, managers should consider supporting the member of staff to access urgent NHS services via their GP or local mental health crisis services. The NPCC Board will clarify this issue with forces by end April 2025.”

Source location
Response from College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council
Page 4 · response
Published 15 January 2025
Open published response
4 Mar2016
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
1. Delays in access to Occupational Health medical assessment
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 1
1. Action
  Retender and operate occupational health provision with triage, escalation and automatic doctor follow-up where required.
  Stated by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue ServiceStated completed
AI-generated summary

Lee Richard Gaunt · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Lee Richard Gaunt went to work a night shift at Stalybridge Fire Station on 17 October 2015 and was later found hanging from a tree at the station. The report raised concerns about limited Occupational Health support, delays in accessing a doctor, additional managerial and emergency-response duties following a colleague’s death, and a general failure to provide support staff in stressful situations.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Delays in access to Occupational Health medical assessment
Wider context from the report
“1. There appeared to be rather less than effective support from Occupational Health and it took a long time for the deceased to be able to see the doctor. ”
Source location
Lee Richard Gaunt · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 1 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Retender and operate occupational health provision with triage, escalation and automatic doctor follow-up where required.

Verbatim wording from the response
“1. GMFRS’s occupational health providers in 2013 were different to the current providers. GMFRS retendered its occupational health service provision on the expiry of the previous contract on 31 January 2015. The current providers are Healthwork and you heard from one of their directors, ████████ at the inquest.”

Source location
Lee-Gaunt-Response
Page 1 · response
Published 4 March 2016
Open published response

Data last updated 7 September 2026

What this concern includes

Not included

Reports over time

Concerns raised1

Unclear imminent adjustments for police officers disclosing suicidal thoughts before occupational health assessment

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3

Concerns raised1

Delays in access to Occupational Health medical assessment

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1

Actions described in response 3

Actions described in response 1