Brenda Kathryn Gabrielle Leyland · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 20 Mar 2015•Leicester City and South Leicestershire

Published report and response evidence

This report’s concerns and statements found in recipients’ published responses. Statements are included even where no link to an individual concern is recorded. A link shows an evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
3

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
2

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

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 raised3

  1. Large-volume helium canisters
    Part of recurring concern: Inadequate safety controls for helium canisters
  2. Failure to attach modified control valves restricting helium gas release volume
    Part of recurring concern: Inadequate safety controls for helium canisters
  3. Lack of controls on individual helium canister purchase quantities
    Part of recurring concern: Inadequate controls on the sale and online access to highly toxic substancesPart of recurring concern: Inadequate safety controls for helium canistersPart of recurring concern: Uncontrolled public access to helium products

Stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.2

  1. Department of Health and Social Care

    Consult the British Retail Consortium and obtain advice from the Royal College of Anaesthetists on addressing helium-related risks.

  2. Department of Health and Social Care

    Continue working with government and external partners to determine how best to reduce the suicide risk associated with helium.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.1

  1. Department of Health and Social Care

    Evidence that even small amounts of helium can cause death means controls on availability would be ineffective.

    Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.

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

Large-volume helium canisters

Wider context from the report

“(1) That helium gas is freely available in canisters and there appears to be no controlling measures on how many canisters can be bought by an individual. (2) The size of the helium canisters are of large volume. (3) There is no modified control valve attached to the canisters which would restrict the volume of gas being released. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Inadequate safety controls for helium canisters.

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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

Failure to attach modified control valves restricting helium gas release volume

Wider context from the report

“(1) That helium gas is freely available in canisters and there appears to be no controlling measures on how many canisters can be bought by an individual. (2) The size of the helium canisters are of large volume. (3) There is no modified control valve attached to the canisters which would restrict the volume of gas being released. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Inadequate safety controls for helium canisters.

Open source report

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

Lack of controls on individual helium canister purchase quantities

Wider context from the report

“(1) That helium gas is freely available in canisters and there appears to be no controlling measures on how many canisters can be bought by an individual. (2) The size of the helium canisters are of large volume. (3) There is no modified control valve attached to the canisters which would restrict the volume of gas being released. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Inadequate controls on the sale and online access to highly toxic substances; Inadequate safety controls for helium canisters; Uncontrolled public access to helium products.

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

Consult the British Retail Consortium and obtain advice from the Royal College of Anaesthetists on addressing helium-related risks.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We have met the British Retail Consortium on several occasions and taken advice from the Royal College of Anaesthetists. There are however no specific outcomes to report at this time, although there is compelling evidence that reporting and portrayals of suicide in social and other media can lead to copycat behaviour, especially among young people and those already at risk. The Samaritans have produced guidelines intended to limit the further spread of both helium suicide and other novel methods.”

Source location

2015-0112-Response-by-Department-of-Health
Page 2 · response
Published 20 March 2015

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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

Continue working with government and external partners to determine how best to reduce the suicide risk associated with helium.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Work to consider the best way to respond to the increasing use of helium as a suicide method continues with our partners across government and beyond. Since helium”

Source location

2015-0112-Response-by-Department-of-Health
Page 1 · response
Published 20 March 2015

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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

Evidence that even small amounts of helium can cause death means controls on availability would be ineffective.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Having reviewed the response in the case of Matthew Satterthwaite, which was sent to HM Coroner Mr Nigel Meadows, I note that the examples given showed that even small amounts of helium can be sufficient to cause death, rendering controls on availability ineffective. This has led to a number of options to address the issues you raise being considered and discarded.”

Source location

2015-0112-Response-by-Department-of-Health
Page 1 · response
Published 20 March 2015

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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