As part of the Long Term Plan, the NHS Prevention Programme established alcohol care teams (ACTs) in those hospitals with the greatest need.
NHS Hampshire & Isle of Wight has ACTs in:
- University of Southampton NHS Trust
- Portsmouth Hospital University Trust.
There are specialist alcohol nursing services in our other acute hospital settings.
ACTs provide specialist expertise and interventions for alcohol dependence patients and those presenting with acute intoxication or other alcohol related complications, attending A&E, or admitted as inpatient across most departments of the acute hospital.
ACTs should:
- Be led by a senior clinician with dedicated time for the team
- Facilitate widespread case identification/identification and brief advice (IBA)
- Provide comprehensive alcohol assessment
- Contribute to nursing and medical care planning
- Provide psychosocial interventions
- Manage medically-assisted alcohol withdrawal
- Plan safe discharge, including referral to community services
Optimal Alcohol Care Teams as part of an effective alcohol treatment system
For acute settings which do not have NHS England funded ACTs, there should be provision for Alcohol Specialist Nursing Services who help patients reduce their alcohol intake. All patients should be routinely asked to consider how much they drink when they are admitted to hospital. Patients considered to be at risk should be referred to the alcohol team or asked if they would like to receive advice, depending on their score.
Alcohol dependency is the leading risk factor for early mortality, ill health and disability among 15 to 49 year olds in England. Alcohol is a grade 1 carcinogen and a key risk factor in the development of many long-term conditions such as high blood pressure or hypertension, atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm), CVD and stroke. Millions of people are admitted to hospital every year with illnesses such as liver disease, heart conditions, stroke, breast, mouth or throat cancer, all of which can be caused by long term alcohol use.
Admission to hospital is often the first time alcohol dependence is identified and diagnosed as an underlying or primary condition, so hospital admission provides an ideal opportunity for early intervention and access to more comprehensive alcohol treatment.
There is good evidence for fully optimised ACTs providing specialist interventions to alcohol dependent inpatients. A NICE evidence-based case study describes how ACTs have been shown to significantly reduce avoidable bed days and readmissions.
It is important to maximise opportunities which support people to manage their alcohol dependence, including for those working in health and social care, criminal justice, community and voluntary sector.
There is training available from NHSE on the e-learning for healthcare (elfh) platform for delivering alcohol IBA in four settings:
- Primary Care
- Community Pharmacy
- Hospitals
- Dental Teams
Access the training here.
Although addiction is a common health issue that requires medical intervention and support, people suffering from this illness are some of the most stigmatised in society, often seen as not even unwell and in some way deserving of their experiences.
It is crucial that barriers to treatment caused by stigma are removed so that those who most need support are able to access help. You can learn more about this here.