To consider a report that provides an update on the Torbay suicide prevention action plan 2024-27 and a proposal to develop a One Devon Integrated Care System suicide prevention action plan.

The Health and Wellbeing Board considered a report that provided an update on the Torbay suicide prevention action plan 2024-27 and a proposal to develop a One Devon Integrated Care System suicide prevention action plan. 

Members were advised that Torbay had been selected to host the South West leg of the 2025 Baton of Hope charity tour on Tuesday 30 September 2025. The tour supported priority three of Torbay’s suicide prevention action plan – Harness passion, commit to collaborate and pool resources to reduce suicides.

Members welcomed the Office of National Statistics reporting that the suicide rate had continued to decline since last reporting at the Health and Wellbeing Board.  Members noted in 2022 Torbay’s suicide rate was 16.6 per 100,000.  There was a decreasing trend, however, rates are still significantly above national and regional rates.  Members were advised that the suicide rate for 2023 had been reported to show a radical reduction to 12.5 per 100,000 – similar to the regional suicide rate.  However, with Officers recognising that large yearly shifts in population rates were uncommon further investigation found that lengthy Coroner Service delays have meant that the number of deaths registered within the year were not reflective of the actual number of deaths that would be expected.  Therefore, the data had been triangulated with local real time surveillance data which indicates that the number of suspected suicides is unlikely to have fallen to the extent suggested by the national data and was in keeping with the typical numbers we have been expecting. The Health and Wellbeing Board was therefore advised to base prioritisation and decision making on previous Office of National Statistics data from 2022 and to assume a similar rate until such time future figures were available.

Members were advised that currently, each Local Authority in the Devon Integrated Care System area had its own suicide prevention action plan that was accountable to their respective Health and Wellbeing Boards.  Each local plan was based on the priorities of the national suicide prevention strategy for England: 2023 to 2028 and therefore there was significant overlap between the plans across Devon.

Officers recommended moving to a single, Integrated Care System wide, strategy action plan with core system partners.  A shared action plan would continue to be based on the national strategy and, importantly, it would maintain the focus on the local elements of each area based on local priorities.  The national suicide prevention strategy provided a platform and framework to facilitate a One Devon Suicide Prevention Action Plan, with local collaboration across key partner organisations, including NHS, voluntary, community and social sectors (VCSE), employers and individuals.

Mapping of the three existing suicide prevention action plans from Plymouth, Torbay and Devon local authorities had demonstrated the feasibility of a shared plan.  A single One Devon Integrated Care System suicide prevention action plan would maintain local elements key to suicide prevention as well as accountability to each Health and Wellbeing Board and would provide annual reports to the boards.  Local partners would continue to inform the development of the plan and lead local implementation.

By consensus, the Board resolved that;

1.      the progress since last year’s suicide prevention action plan and the difference between national and local statistics and why this is the case, be noted; and

2.      the development of a One Devon Integrated Care System suicide prevention action plan be endorsed.