Health and care sector to remember colleagues lost to suicide on national memorial day

Health and care organisations across the UK will come together on 17 September 2026 to remember colleagues who have died by suicide and recognise the importance of protecting the mental health of those working across the sector.

National Suicide Memorial Day for Health and Care Workers, led by Doctors in Distress, provides a dedicated opportunity to remember healthcare and care professionals who have lost their lives to suicide, while acknowledging the pressures that can affect those working to care for others.

The day is intended to create space for remembrance and reflection across the health and care community, with organisations and individuals encouraged to hold memorial activities and ceremonies.

For a workforce regularly exposed to illness, death, trauma, high workloads and significant responsibility, the day also carries an important message about ensuring that those delivering care have somewhere to turn when they are struggling themselves.

Doctors in Distress works to protect the mental health of healthcare workers and reduce suicide across the profession, campaigning for environments in which staff can talk openly about their mental health and access support when they need it.

While conversations around workforce wellbeing have increased across health and social care in recent years, the memorial day is a reminder of why those conversations must translate into meaningful support.

Employers can use the day to reflect on their own workplace culture and the support available to staff, from access to mental health services and peer support to how managers respond when a colleague says they are struggling.

It is also an opportunity to remember that healthcare workers are people before they are professionals. Supporting others through some of the most difficult moments of their lives does not make someone immune from experiencing difficulties of their own.

National Suicide Memorial Day for Health and Care Workers takes place on 17 September 2026, remembering those who have died while reinforcing the importance of looking after the people who spend their working lives looking after others.

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