Background
Every year we lose approximately 160 people to suicide within Cheshire & Merseyside and the North West has one of the highest suicide rates of any region in the country. Suicide has both tragic human consequences and economic and social consequences.

The aim of the conference is to establish a cross agency response to suicide reduction including management of individual suicides, high-risk groups, suicide clusters and suicide hotspots.

The Conference Highlights
The event will give key decision-makers from a range of local stakeholders the opportunity to hear from some key speakers such as Barry McGale, Suicide Liaison Officer, based in Derry NI, where they have developed a highly successful multi-agency approach to suicide prevention.

Delegates will also meet key Cheshire & Merseyside stakeholders to network and collaboratively address the way forward in action planning to promote good practice, avoid duplication, share information and ultimately save lives.

All to often we still find ourselves silo working and in the midst of 2010's Year of Health & Wellbeing, we believe it will be invaluable to exploring a 360 degree perspective on attempted or completed suicides and what some of the key organisations involved do, what the challenges are and what the impact and costs of suicide can be.

Working together
We have the support of not only each Primary Care Trust across the patch but the backing of both ChaMPs (the region’s Public Heath network) and the NW Strategic Health Authority.

This event is now full. For more info please email Jan.

Simon Howes - Merseyside CALM co-ordinator