An evidence summary inspired by safety discussions held at the Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Safety Summit

What is a ligature point? A ligature point anything that could be used to attach a cord, rope or other material for the purpose of strangulation. Ligature risk in an acute setting: Much of the literature around ligature risk is from a mental health setting; however there may be some learning that can be applied to an acute hospital setting. A national clinical survey of suicide cases published in 2012 describes the ligature points and ligatures used in inpatient suicides and identifies trends over time. The most common ligature points and ligatures were doors, hooks/handles, windows, and belts or sheets/towels, respectively.

Date of publication: Dec 2017

Tagged: ligature point