Health & Lifestyle | Posted on November 6th, 2025 | return to news

New scheme in Dorset tackles rising self-harm rates

A GP surgery based in Bournemouth and Christchurch is now offering a specialist self-harm support service to help those in crisis.

Dorset has some of the highest rates of self-harm in England, with around 200.9 emergency hospital admissions per 100,000 people (compared to 163.9 per 100,000 nationally). For young people aged 10–24, the figures are even higher.

To tackle this crisis, a local GP surgery network has become the first in the UK to offer a specialist self-harm support service described as a “lifeline” by parents.

South Coast Medical Group is making the FLASH programme — Families Learning About Self Harm — directly available through six GP surgeries in Bournemouth and Christchurch.

FLASH is designed to educate and support parents and caregivers of teenagers who self-harm. It equips families with vital tools to understand the behaviour, manage crisis moments and, importantly, build stronger, more supportive relationships with their children.

However, the programme has traditionally only been accessible via Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, where families may face waiting lists of a year or more. This can leave families feeling isolated with nowhere to turn while they wait.

The new service aims to change that by giving people compassionate support within their own local GP surgery.

“There is so little support available for families, who are often left feeling helpless,” said a spokesperson from South Coast Medical Group.
“We are proud to offer this much-needed intervention, which allows parents to access support early, without waiting months or longer. This is about empowering families before things escalate.”

Parents who have participated in the course consistently report feeling better equipped to cope. They highlight the emotional relief of learning that they are not alone, and the practical guidance that helps them respond more effectively to their child’s distress.

South Coast Medical Group says that this approach is a major step forward for community-based mental health support and may help to bridge a gap that has left families unsupported.

For more information and to access the FLASH course, visit southcoastmedicalgroup.co.uk.