Mental health patients will score the care they receive as part of a new programme to reduce the number of suicides in Canterbury District Health Board's service.

Canterbury's mental health service plans to significantly reduce suicides with the help of live feedback from thousands of patients.

The Perfect Care for Depression programme was developed by the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, United States, and has delivered "outstanding results", according to clinical director of inpatient services at Hillmorton Hospital Dr Steve Duffy.

If adopted, the region's 5000 mental health patients and their staff would give feedback on how safe, effective, patient-centred, timely, efficient and equitable the service was after every interaction using an application (app) on clinic devices like tablets,

In the US trial, the model achieved zero suicides for 10 consecutive quarters for an insured population.

Rates of suicide within the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) service have been static at around 12 deaths each year, in keeping with similar mental health services in New Zealand and overseas, according to the most recent data available.

In the Perfect Care model, mental health staff applied risk assessment strategies and delivered a structured programme for certain cases, Duffy said. Much of the programme was not new to mental health services, however the unique aspect was the live feedback.

"The Ford System got a unique result of suicide prevention, miles better than anyone else, and if you look at their programme the only thing that is unique is the quality tool."

If deficiencies were raised in the feedback, there was a requirement to respond to them immediately "to align our service with the patient that is in front of us . . . 'we are here with you, have we done right by you?'", Duffy said.

The programme would be rolled out, as resources allowed, one team at a time. Staff had started risk assessment training required for the programme.

Duffy was confident the programme would improve the service.

"If it really can generate the prevention of suicides . . . then why wouldn't we do it?"

The Ministry of Health was transferring responsibility of suicide prevention to individual district health boards in June.

The CDHB has submitted its draft suicide prevention plan to the Ministry, and included the Perfect Care model.

Duffy believed CDHB was the only DHB to propose using Perfect Care.

WHERE TO GET HELP:

Lifeline: 0800 543 354 - Provides 24 hour telephone counselling

Youthline: 0800 376 633 or free text 234 - Provides 24 hour telephone and text counselling services for young people

Samaritans: 0800 726 666 - Provides 24 hour telephone counselling.

Tautoko: 0508 828 865 - provides support, information and resources to people at risk of suicide, and their family, whanau and friends.

Alcohol & Drug Helpline 0800 787 797

Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (noon to 11pm)

Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (4pm - 6pm weekdays)

If it is an emergency or you feel you or someone you know is at risk, please call 111.

For information about suicide prevention, see http://www.spinz.org.nz.