Chris Irish from Stockton was just 33 years old when he committed suicide in 2021 – following struggles with his mental health over “many years”.
In their grief, the Irish family have set up Chris’ Voice – a campaign created to create awareness and spot where opportunities may be missed when it comes to preventing suicide.
Chris Irish from Stockton. (Image: North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust) The campaign is being rolled out across North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and the family is also hoping to launch the campaign within Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust soon.
Chris’ sister, Rachel said: “Chris was the youngest of four siblings and was deeply cherished by his parents Mick and Trish, nana Nancy, and three sisters – Anna, Nicola, and myself.
“Despite receiving warmth and support from his close-knit family, Chris faced challenging mental health struggles for many years and sadly lost his battle in 2021.
“Our family developed the campaign, so that we could continue to be Chris’s voice by sharing his story. It’s important to highlight where opportunities were missed that may have prevented him from taking his own life.
The Chris’ Voice campaign. (Image: North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust) “We hope to give other patients and families a voice and in turn, help to improve the care and support available for them.”
She added: “We want to encourage healthcare professionals to speak up if they disagree with a decision made regarding a patient’s care.
“It’s also about highlighting the importance of listening to families who know their loved one’s best, better escalating care and liaising with other professionals to develop the best care plan and to ensure safer discharges.
“Through the campaign, we want to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and to eliminate judgement.
The Chris’ Voice campaign. (Image: North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust) “By continuing to speak passionately and advocate for Chris, we want suicide prevention and mental health to become part of everyday workplace conversations and to improve outcomes for patients so families don’t have to go through the same loss that we have.”
Viv Priestley, service lead for urgent and emergency care, said: “Suicide, sadly, affects thousands of people every year in England.
“Ensuring our patient’s safety when under our care is something every individual healthcare professional has a shared responsibility to do.
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“We want our staff to be aware that it can be just as important to share information in certain circumstances as it is to protect confidentiality, this is supported by the Caldicott Principles.
“We hope to continue to welcome Rachel and her family to share Chris’s story with staff, so we can work together to continue to improve and develop the very best care plan to support patients and their families experiencing a suicidal crisis.
“This is such an important campaign, and Rachel and her family’s passion for improving suicide prevention for other patients is so inspiring.”