Waveney mum looks to open Suicide Crisis Centre

23 May 2019, 09:05 | Updated: 23 May 2019, 09:08

mental health

A woman from Waveney is trying to set up a Suicide Crisis Centre in Lowestoft in memory of her son who took his own life last year.

Sue Willgoss told Heart that she wants to make sure there's more support for autistic people - after watching her son Danny struggle with the current system.

"People with autism - they're 40 per cent more likely to take their own lives," she said.

"And any attempts that they do have on their life are usually more aggressive and more lethal."

Sue has organised a workshop today with the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust to explore the possibility of opening the centre.

It would work differently to current services - providing intensive support to start with, gradually tailoring it to be individualised to different people's needs and condition.

Sue added: "We see so many people in crisis who fail to get the right support at the time when they need it most. Then there is the issue of adequate follow-up care immediately after discharge and the following weeks.

"There is no crisis line for support in Waveney, nowhere for people to go and the result is that people may spend the night in an A&E department or a police cell. Those are not suitable places for those in mental health crisis."