Government launches consultation on harmful drinking and alcohol dependency guidance

The government is seeking views on new draft guidelines for treating harmful drinking and alcohol dependence.

The consultation will be open for eight weeks, and people working in alcohol treatment, the wider health and care sector, and those with lived experience of alcohol dependence across the UK are invited to give their views.

The main aim of the UK-wide guideline is to develop a clearer consensus on best practice, providing the health and care sector with high-quality resources to help treat people with alcohol dependency issues.

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The guidance will explain how to implement NICE-recommended interventions, ultimately improving outcomes for patients.

It has been developed in partnership with devolved administrations to ensure the guidelines are effective and helpful to the people they are designed to support.

Guidance holds specific recommendations for pregnant women and prisoners

Minister for Public Health, Neil O’Brien, said: “To maximise the impact of our £532 million investment into substance misuse treatment, it is vital that treatment for those with alcohol dependence is informed by the best scientific and medical expertise, as well as the views of those with lived experience.

“This consultation will help us develop guidance to ensure alcohol treatment services are of consistently high quality, providing stronger pathways to recovery for those in need of treatment for alcohol dependence.”

The guidelines recommend that specialist alcohol treatment and wider health and social care services work together to provide integrated care for people experiencing alcohol dependence.

In addition, they recommend that alcohol treatment services work with lived experience recovery organisations in order to ensure that the guidelines are helpful, effective and person-centred.

There are also specific recommendations for supporting different groups of people, such as pregnant women and those in the criminal justice system.

Aim to provide a “clear consensus” on best practice for alcohol treatment

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, said the guidelines will “provide a clear consensus for health and care services on best practice for alcohol treatment, resulting in better outcomes for those who need treatment and care.”

“I encourage anyone who works in alcohol treatment services, and anyone with experience using them, to contribute your views to the eight-week consultation to ensure that the guidelines are as robust and person-centred as possible,” he said.

The alcohol clinical guidelines will provide:

• a detailed framework to support providers with high quality alcohol treatment guidance that can help inform the quality of their services
• guidance for health and social care staff involved in helping people experiencing alcohol dependence or drinking at harmful levels
• guidance on managing and supporting treatment pathways, such as between hospitals or prisons and the community
• a reference point for national regulatory bodies when inspecting alcohol treatment services.