Sajid Javid: My brother’s death makes my crusade against suicide ‘personal’

Suicide should be treated with the same urgency as "any other major killer", the Health Secretary has said, almost four years on from his brother’s death.

Sajid Javid met with bereaved families and charities on Friday to discuss his personal interest in suicide prevention.

Mr Javid’s older brother, Tariq Javid, 51, died by suicide in July 2018.

An inquest heard he killed himself because he believed he would “not last long” due to ill health.

In a speech at suicide prevention charity Papyrus’s headquarters in London, Mr Javid said: “We must treat suicides with the same urgency that we treat any other major killer.

“I’m determined to make a difference on this issue [...] and one of the ways we’ll do this is by publishing a new 10-year suicide prevention plan.

“This is something that is deeply personal to me - there are too many families that are left incomplete, and too much potential has gone unfulfilled.”

Majority of deaths by suicide are men

Suicide is the biggest cause of death in men under 50 and around three-quarters of deaths by suicides every year are men.

In 2021, there were more than 5,000 suicides registered in England.

In April, Mr Javid launched a call for evidence to inform the Government’s 10-year mental health plan, which will include a suicide prevention plan.

He reiterated the call on Friday, urging that the new plan must be shaped by views and experience of the public, professionals and those with lived experience.

“I want to hear views from far and wide about how to shape this work and the roundtable that I chaired here earlier this morning was so illuminating,” he said.

“I heard heartbreaking tales of love and loss but also inspirational stories of the work being done to divert people from this painful path, including of course here at Papyrus.

“I am determined to make a difference on this issue.”

Boost for suicide prevention services

The Government has already committed to boosting voluntary and community suicide prevention services, with £5 million of funding in 2021-22.

The Health Secretary also discussed the greater use of apps and digital services, including the rollout of a national suspected suicide surveillance system to look for risk patterns.

Mr Javid added: “The Online Safety Bill gives us a once in a generation opportunity to tackle this issue.

“I will also work jointly across government to look at both upcoming and current legislation to make sure it meets the rapidly evolving challenges that we face.

“Because when it comes to the encouragement of suicide, we are currently relying on legislation that was primarily created long before the digital age.”