Purpose and context
This guide has been developed to support veterinary practices in meeting the new suicide prevention requirements which came into effect on 1 April, in alignment with the BSI Suicide Prevention Standard (launched November 2025).
It is intended as a practical, accessible, and proportionate guide for veterinary practices of all types and sizes, including small animal, equine, and farm/production animal practices and mixed practices to help them understand what is required, who is responsible, and how suicide prevention can be implemented safely and effectively in practice.
This is not a training manual and does not replace existing suicide awareness or mental health education. Instead, it provides a clear, structured framework that practices can use to:
- Put appropriate systems and controls in place
- Reduce foreseeable risk
- Support staff wellbeing
- Demonstrate compliance during PSS assessment
The guide has been written with the realities of veterinary work in mind, including exposure to trauma, access to lethal means, professional isolation, and the emotional demands of the role and is grounded in evidence-based, compassionate and inclusive practice.
Who this guide is for:
- Practice managers and responsible persons — as a step-by-step framework to implement and maintain suicide prevention measures and demonstrate compliance during assessment.
- PSS Assessors — refer to the separate PSS Assessor Checklist for assessment guidance, prompts and questions.
- All staff — as a reference point for understanding how suicide prevention is approached and supported within their practice.
Implementation model
This guide follows a four-stage implementation model that mirrors the BS 30480 continuous
improvement cycle. See section 7.5. Veterinary workplaces should work through all four stages and repeat the
PIRE cycle annually:
- PLAN — Identify what needs to be done based on your risk assessment, gaps in current provision,
and the six key actions above. - IMPLEMENT — Put systems, training, procedures and documentation in place.
- REVIEW — Assess whether your approach is working; gather staff feedback; learn from incidents
and near-misses. - EVIDENCE — Document what you have done, what changed and what you will do next; retain
records for assessment.
What you need to do:
BS 30480 requires every veterinary practice to address six areas. These are the things your veterinary
workplace must have in place. Each action is covered in detail in the relevant section of this guide.
- Appoint a responsible person — Designate one named individual who is accountable for suicide prevention in your veterinary workplace. Document this formally and ensure all staff know who it is. See Section 2.
- Carry out a workplace risk assessment — Identify the factors in your veterinary workplace that may increase vulnerability to suicide risk, including workload, access to lethal means, psychological safety, and isolation. Document findings and create an action plan. See Section 3.2.
- Write and implement a suicide prevention plan — Create a written plan covering prevention, early identification of distress, intervention, crisis response, and post-incident support. The plan must be accessible to all staff and actively communicated — not filed away. See Section 3.
- Restrict access to lethal means — Review controlled drug storage, firearms and captive bolt access, and disposal protocols with suicide prevention explicitly in mind (PSS suicide prevention standard). This is one of the most evidence-based interventions available and is a specific requirement in veterinary workplaces. See Section 3.3.
- Train your team — All staff need awareness-level training so they can recognise distress and know who to tell. Managers need intermediate training to hold supportive conversations and manage disclosures. The responsible person should consider specialist training. Training records must be maintained. See Section 7.
- Monitor, review and improve — Review your suicide prevention plan at least annually and following any significant incident. Keep a record of each review. Gather staff input. Use the Plan → Implement → Review → Evidence cycle to drive continuous improvement. See Section 7.
How this guide should be used:
Practice managers and responsible persons: as a step-by-step checklist to implement and maintain suicide prevention measures
- Assessors: refer to the separate PSS Assessor Checklist for assessment guidance
- All staff: as a reference point for understanding how suicide prevention is approached and supported within their workplace
Implementation Model: PIRE cycle Plan → Implement → Review → Evidence (refer to section 7)