NICE self-harm 2022 guideline: implications for ambulance staff

After nearly 20 years, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022) has published its updated guideline for self-harm [NG225], which focuses on the assessment, management and prevention of repeat self-harm. Self-harm is closely associated with suicide, and is a significant international public health concern (Knipe et al., 2022). Selfharm is defined as self-injury or poisoning, irrespective of intent. The guideline utilised the latest evidence, synthesising the past two guidelines, and incorporating lived experience, to generate recommendations for health and social care, education, and criminal justice system settings. Ambulance staff may be the first professionals a person sees after self-harm, and therefore the initial assessment and management conducted can be crucial in preventing self-harm repetition. We highlight below the main recommendations for ambulance staff to consider.