The care pathway for entry into alcohol treatment services has recently been amended to allow people to ‘drop-in’ to assessment services, rather than having to pre-book appointments. As a result, it is now easier for clients to access treatment services.
The Integrated Support Pathway (housing support) includes provision of high level supported hostel accommodation through to low level floating support.
A number of initiatives have had a positive impact on alcohol related hospital attendances:
- Specialist alcohol nurses are based in A&E and see any person attending hospital with an alcohol related attendance. The nurses are able to provide brief interventions and signpost to support services.
- A ‘frequent attender’ worker engages more assertively with individuals frequently attending A&E with an alcohol related issue. This group will have alcohol dependence issues and will be consistently failing to complete the assessment and treatment process.
- Recently an A&E Consultant has agreed to take on the role of ‘Clinical Alcohol Champion’ for the hospital. This role will help to raise the profile of alcohol brief interventions as a way of helping people to seek the support they need.
Development of the licensing process to tackle harm to health and wellbeing has included:
- Development of a collaborative approach, including the Licensing Strategy Group, a focus group of licensing authorities, licensed trade, local business and resident associations and responsible authorities, that develop licensing policy themes.
- A process has been established for the Director of Public Health, in the role of responsible authority, to review licensing applications using local evidence of health and wellbeing, crime, community safety and other factors. He can choose to object on crime prevention, child protection and public nuisance grounds using mapped data.
- BHCC has developed campaign ‘Sensible on Strength’ to reduce the availability of high strength beer and cider. It is a voluntary, accredited trader scheme for retail off-licensed premises. Businesses report an improved trading environment.