Issue - meetings

Report CS18161

The Board considered the findings of an evaluation of the Community Alcohol Pathway Pilot Programme and proposals to mainstream the Community Alcohol Pathway.

The Community Alcohol Pathway had been designed to address the increasing prevalence of harmful alcohol consumption in Bromley, improving the low treatment rates for alcohol users and supporting closer working between primary care and the specialist substance misuse treatment service.  Delivered by Change Grow Live, the current provider of substance misuse services for adults and young people, the five month Pilot Programme commenced in January 2018 and was delivered at three General Practitioners Surgeries comprising Broomwood Surgery, Elm House Surgery and Cator Medical Centre.  During the course of the pilot, 36 clients had been referred to the Community Alcohol Pathway, with 27 clients completing the assessment process.  Of those clients completing the assessment process, 13 had been identified as drinking at harmful and hazardous levels, 11 of which had engaged with treatment with 9 successfully completing treatment and reducing their alcohol consumption to safe drinking levels.  14 clients who had completed the assessment process had been identified as drinking at dependent levels and were referred for structured treatment at the substance misuse service with 11 clients still engaged in treatment via Harm Reduction Groups or Pre-Detox Groups.  The Community Alcohol Pathway had been included in the specification for the new contract for the Adult Substance Misuse Service and it was planned to use the findings of the Pilot Programme to inform the mobilisation of the new contract.

The Assistant Director: Public Health underlined the importance of raising public awareness of the harmful effects of substance misuse.

A Board Member noted that delivering the Pathway via General Practitioners Surgeries had reduced the stigma of accessing substance misuse services and that community-based services were often easier to access for service users.  The Board Member emphasised the need to ensure better coverage of the scheme across the Borough, and the Assistant Director: Public Health confirmed that work was underway to identify and establish a number of Community Alcohol Pathway hubs across the Borough.

RESOLVED that:

1)  The findings from the evaluation of the Community Alcohol Pathway Pilot Programme be noted; and,

2)  The Community Alcohol Pathway be supported and promoted amongst partners.