PFD report

Susan Elizabeth Carling · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 28 Apr 2022•Avon

Report record

Published report and response evidence

This page connects the concerns raised in this report with statements found in recipients’ published responses. A link shows a clear evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
3

Named on the report

Responses found
2

Of 3 recipients

Stated actions
14

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Source document

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised1

  1. Suicides among health service professionals
Responses linked to these concerns

Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

Actions described in response An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.7

  1. Action

    Co-launch coaching support services with NHS England and Improvement for primary care workers, managers and leaders.

    Stated by Royal College of General PractitionersStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 May 2022.
  2. Action

    Provide new members with details of existing support services when they join.

    Stated by Royal College of General PractitionersStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 May 2022.
  3. Action

    Signpost members to wellbeing and mental-health support services through the College website.

    Stated by Royal College of General PractitionersStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 May 2022.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.5

  1. Position

    Other medical specialties are responsible for assessing how to reduce workload transferred to primary care.

    Stated by Royal College of General PractitionersRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Suicides among health service professionals

Wider context from the report

“Her family brought to my attention that there are approximately 100 people in the health service who commit suicide each year. They requested that in my role to prevent future deaths that this is considered by someone who could potentially take action to prevent future deaths in this profession going forward. I am aware and made it clear to the family that there are organisations that GP’s can access for support however they like I agree that this needs to be highlighted if suicides are to be prevented in this vulnerable professional group. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

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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

Co-launch coaching support services with NHS England and Improvement for primary care workers, managers and leaders.

Verbatim wording from the response

“2. NHS England and Improvement, in collaboration with the RCGP has launched the #LookingAfterYouToo and the #LookingAfterYourTeam coaching support services. These services provide access to mental health services to all primary care workers, managers and leaders employed or contracted to deliver work on behalf of the NHS.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 3 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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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

Provide new members with details of existing support services when they join.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The RCGP provides a suite of support to all its members and fellows. Specifically”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 3 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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

Signpost members to wellbeing and mental-health support services through the College website.

Verbatim wording from the response

“4. Signposting to wellbeing and mental health support via our website, including:”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 3 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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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

Lobby on behalf of GPs for workload reduction.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Within the medical profession, GPs are currently most at risk from suicide and in essence working in front line general practice must be now seen as a major risk factor for suicide. Any action to reduce the workload should also be seen as supportive, and the College has been lobbying on behalf of all GPs for this to happen. Sadly, this lobbying is tending to fall on deaf ears, and workload, and in particular its intensity continues to rise, as does the high levels of suicidal thoughts, and number of complete suicides.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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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

Maintain wellbeing resources and member-led webinars covering GP wellbeing, emergency contacts and help lines.

Verbatim wording from the response

“3. We have a suite of wellbeing resources and webinars led by college members and available to all our members and fellows. https://www.rcgp.org.uk/membership/gp-wellbeing These resources are all around GP wellbeing, emergency contacts and help lines. The help me, I'm a doctor site brings together five independent charities that support doctors when they need confidential financial assistance. They can provide support to help doctors in genuine financial need get their lives and careers back on track.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 3 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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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

Invest an additional £57 million in suicide prevention through the NHS Long Term Plan, supporting local prevention plans and bereavement services.

Verbatim wording from the response

“More generally, we are investing an additional £57million in suicide prevention by 2023/24 through the NHS Long Term Plan. Through this, all areas of the country are seeing investment to support local suicide prevention plans and the development of suicide bereavement services.”

Source location

Response from Department of Health and Social Care
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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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

Invest more than £45 million to continue healthcare staff wellbeing support, including mental health hubs providing outreach and assessment services.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Finally, over £45 million has been invested in 2022/23 to support the continuation of the health and wellbeing support offer for healthcare staff, which includes the 40 mental health hubs across the country that provide outreach and assessment services. This helps frontline staff receive rapid access to evidence-based mental health services. NHS England continue to develop tailored health and wellbeing offers that meet the needs of their local workforce, especially through the Mental Health Hubs in each Integrated Care System and through occupational health services that are being supported through the national Growing Occupational Health and Wellbeing programme.”

Source location

Response from Department of Health and Social Care
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

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

PFD Monitor interpretation

Other medical specialties are responsible for assessing how to reduce workload transferred to primary care.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The group identified key issues affecting GPs though these issues are universal as risk factors, the only difference being the level of the risk. The main issues relate to unsustainable and intolerable workload and for GPs coupled with negative press and constant unfair blame directed at them. The group also noted that there has been little recognition of impact and toll of the pandemic on mental health of workforce and that as we emerge from it, staff numbers have gone down whilst patient demand up.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

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

PFD Monitor interpretation

Politicians and the media are responsible for changing public discourse and acknowledging pressures affecting NHS and primary care staff.

Verbatim wording from the response

“It is important that whilst you have asked us, that is the RCGP as to what is being done to support our colleagues, that suicide amongst doctors needs a collective approach towards prevention with policy makers, politicians and professional bodies all involved in reducing this needless loss of life.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

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

PFD Monitor interpretation

National and political bodies are responsible for commissioning, contracting, workforce planning and workload-flow changes affecting primary care.

Verbatim wording from the response

“It is important that whilst you have asked us, that is the RCGP as to what is being done to support our colleagues, that suicide amongst doctors needs a collective approach towards prevention with policy makers, politicians and professional bodies all involved in reducing this needless loss of life.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

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

PFD Monitor interpretation

Individual clinicians are responsible for allowing themselves time and space to address their own wellbeing and prevent deterioration.

Verbatim wording from the response

“It is important that whilst you have asked us, that is the RCGP as to what is being done to support our colleagues, that suicide amongst doctors needs a collective approach towards prevention with policy makers, politicians and professional bodies all involved in reducing this needless loss of life.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

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

PFD Monitor interpretation

Organisational and local bodies are responsible for addressing workload-demand mismatches and system pressures affecting clinicians.

Verbatim wording from the response

“It is important that whilst you have asked us, that is the RCGP as to what is being done to support our colleagues, that suicide amongst doctors needs a collective approach towards prevention with policy makers, politicians and professional bodies all involved in reducing this needless loss of life.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

Open published response

Other statements in published responses

These actions and other statements could not be clearly connected to one concern in this report.

Recipient-stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.7

  1. 1

    Provide access to a bereavement group for people bereaved after a health professional’s suicide.

    Stated by Royal College of General PractitionersStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 May 2022.
  2. 2

    Hold a stakeholder event with Doctors in Distress and Practitioner Health to highlight suicide among health professionals and drive system-wide solution discussions.

    Stated by Royal College of General PractitionersStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 May 2022.
  3. 3

    Collaborate with professional and healthcare stakeholders to reduce suicide among health professionals.

    Stated by Royal College of General PractitionersStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 May 2022.
  4. 4

    Run a pilot supporting practice teams affected by a colleague’s sudden death.

    Stated by Royal College of General PractitionersStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 May 2022.
  5. 5

    Award £5.4 million in grants to 113 charities supporting suicide prevention among high-risk groups.

    Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 May 2022.
  6. 6

    Analyse more than 5,000 responses to the public call for evidence.

    Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 May 2022.
  7. 7

    Launch a public call for evidence on longer-term mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention support.

    Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 19 May 2022.

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

Provide access to a bereavement group for people bereaved after a health professional’s suicide.

Verbatim wording from the response

“5. We provide, through our President access to a bereavement group for any individual bereaved following the death of a health professional through suicide.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 3 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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

Hold a stakeholder event with Doctors in Distress and Practitioner Health to highlight suicide among health professionals and drive system-wide solution discussions.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The RCGP agrees that urgent action is needed to reduce the rate of suicide amongst all health professionals. The College held a high-level stakeholder event in partnership with Doctors in Distress and Practitioner Health in November 2022 to highlight the issue of (suicide) amongst those who can effect change and to drive discussions towards stakeholder (system wide) potential solutions.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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

Collaborate with professional and healthcare stakeholders to reduce suicide among health professionals.

Verbatim wording from the response

“6. We collaborate with other stakeholders such as Doctors in Distress, Academy Medical Royal Colleges, General Medical Council, Practitioner Health to reduce the rate of suicide.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 3 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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

Run a pilot supporting practice teams affected by a colleague’s sudden death.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The RCGP also recognises the impact the sudden death of a colleague on the wellbeing of the remaining practice team and have recently introduced through our professional development team a pilot project supporting those team affected.”

Source location

Response from Royal College of General Practioners
Page 3 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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

Award £5.4 million in grants to 113 charities supporting suicide prevention among high-risk groups.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We also awarded 113 charities a share of £5.4million grant funding in 2021/22 to prevent suicide in high-risk groups. This funding was distributed to the suicide prevention voluntary, community and social enterprises to support service delivery.”

Source location

Response from Department of Health and Social Care
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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

Analyse more than 5,000 responses to the public call for evidence.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Government also launched a public call for evidence on what can be done across government in the longer term to support mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention. The call for evidence closed on 7 July 2022 and we are currently analysing the over 5,000 responses that received.”

Source location

Response from Department of Health and Social Care
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

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

Launch a public call for evidence on longer-term mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention support.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Government also launched a public call for evidence on what can be done across government in the longer term to support mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention. The call for evidence closed on 7 July 2022 and we are currently analysing the over 5,000 responses that received.”

Source location

Response from Department of Health and Social Care
Page 2 · response
Published 19 May 2022

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026