Guidelines: Suicide amongst anaesthetists
This is a consensus document produced by expert members of a Working Party established by the Association of Anaesthetists in 2019.
It has been seen and approved by the Association of Anaesthetists’ Board of Directors. It has been endorsed by the Defence Medical Services, the Intensive Care Society, Health Education England, NHS Practitioner Health, College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland, and the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Summary
Anaesthetists are thought to be at increased risk of suicide amongst the medical profession. The aims of the following guidelines are: increase awareness of suicide and associated vulnerabilities, risk factors and precipitants; to emphasise safe ways to respond to individuals in distress, both for them and for colleagues working alongside them; and to support individuals, departments and organisations in coping with a suicide.
