Information is not held centrally about people identified as at risk of suicide by the national health service or social services who later take their own life.
The following table shows number of patients in the former Essex strategic health authority (SHA) who took their own life who were on enhanced care programme approach (CPA). The CPA is used to assess the care needs of, and provide a package of care for, people with severe mental illness. People on enhanced CPA are more likely to have multiple needs, require more frequent and intensive interventions and have higher levels of risk. However, not everyone on enhanced CPA will necessarily be identified as at risk of suicide.
Number of people under enhanced CPA who committed suicide Percentage of total number of suicides 2001 11 31 2002 9 24 2003 17 35 2004 16 37 2005 18 43 1 For 2001, the data refer to patients under standard and enhanced CPA. For 2002 to 2005, the data refer only to people under enhanced CPA. Source: The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness