New treatment saves NHS £1.5m

It comes following the announcement of new alcohol care teams in the NHS Long Term Plan, which has been welcomed by West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership (WY&H HCP).

The Alcohol Liaison Service (ALS) is commissioned by the public health team in Wakefield Council and run by Spectrum Community Health CIC at Pinderfields Hospital.

The service, started in 2013, employs two full-time alcohol liaison nurses who provide support and treatment for a wide range of alcohol-related concerns, including advice on safer drinking, clinical alcohol detox, and signposting to agencies.

Dr Linda Harris, Chief Executive of Spectrum Community Health CIC, said: “For some patients who drink at harmful levels, being admitted to hospital can be a stressful experience and might be the first time they have realised that alcohol is damaging their health.

“The ALS provides focused, consistent 1:1 care to manage these concerns and help patients access long-term support.

“We are pleased to see that the work of the ALS has resulted in a steady decrease in the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions in recent years: between 2013/14 and 2016/17 the number of admissions for mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol has reduced by 39 per cent.”

A spokesman for the this service said this equates to £1.5m saved in the past four years.

Despite some good work there are still major issues around alcohol misuse – particularly alcoholic liver disease where there has been no change in the number of hospital admissions. The work of partners in Wakefield and across West Yorkshire and Harrogate will continue.

Rob Webster, WY&H HCP lead CEO and CEO for South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust said: “Preventing ill health is a major priority for our Partnership.

“A key strand of this work is alcohol misuse. In West Yorkshire and Harrogate there are around 455,000 heavy drinkers.

“Collectively we spend millions dealing with alcohol-related health issues, particularly in our acute hospitals.

“The issue contributes significantly to a wide range of conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancers, mental health issues and accidental injuries.

“Our ambition as a Partnership is to reduce the number of people admitted to hospital due to alcohol consumption by 500 every year.

“The news from Government is welcome and we are waiting to hear more about the implementation of the new services highlighted in the NHS Long Term Plan.”