Public Health England has launched a new review on the use of prescription opioid medicines in the UK. NHS SMPA’s Emily Finch was invited onto BBC’s Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday to discuss opioid use in England.
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Alcohol-related illness creates a huge cost for the NHS and causes considerable harm not only to the those who are drinking, but also to their family and friends. However, among many, perceptions around the ‘normal’ intake of alcohol are far from the recommended maximum units and there is little understanding of the phrases used to explain alcohol-related illnesses.
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Referred to by one English Police and Crime Commissioner as “the most severe public health issue we have faced in decades”, Spice is one of a group of synthetic cannabinoids whose notoriety is growing by the day.
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Today is World Mental Health Awareness Day and, this year, the focus is on children and young people’s mental health. According to the World Health Organisation, half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, and, unsurprisingly, the “harmful use of alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescents is a major issue”.
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View the presentation slides from our 2018 conference on the theme of creating lasting behaviour change, including slides from: Dr Henrietta Bowden Jones, Danny Hames, Dr Luke Mitcheson, Dr Dima Abdulrahim, Viv Evans OBE and Rob Eyers.
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Join in the debate at the NHS Substance Misuse Provider Alliance Conference 2018, where Danny Hames, Chair of NHS SMPA, will be starting the discussion, and providing a some of the answers, to this challenging question.
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“The first thing we have to remember is that every death represents a huge loss for a family, loss of a son or daughter, parent or sibling, so this is really affecting people.”
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Ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day next month, here is our guide to what to do if you think someone has overdosed.
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The needs of long-term heroin users are increasingly complex. Additionally, trends showing a rise in the prevalence of crack, the use of new Psychoactive Substances (NPS) (particularly in the prison and homelessness populations), and the threat of Fentanyl provide significant challenges for commissioners. It is crucial that in future, commissioners procure services that are able to respond effectively.
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Leaving aside the debates in the media regarding Police numbers and budgets, I was drawn to growing concerns regarding the prevalence and purity of crack cocaine in UK markets, and consequently its link to increasing levels of serious violence across the country.
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While cuts are reportedly at 30%, they are as high as 45% in some local areas. This has led to diminishing support for people with complex multiple needs associated with their substance use, and a shift from systemic (integrated) provision to simple service provision in many areas of the UK.
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Naloxone does not reduce drug use, but it is a key tool in the arsenal for reducing drug-related deaths.
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Too often, substance misuse starts as an ill-advised coping strategy. People try to manage their mental ill-health themselves, with self-prescribing feeling, at times, like the only ‘solution’ available.
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From a NHS SMPA perspective, no provider would stop or reduce a service user’s prescription unless there were sound clinical justifications for doing so, and no commissioner acting as a responsible guardian over the treatment system would pursue this.
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‘Nostalgia isn’t what it is used to be’ goes the witty quote, but are drug and alcohol services what they used to be?
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What unites the NHS SMPA is a belief that people deserve high quality services which can improve their lives. To achieve this, we are clear that services should be built on the following five principles.
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There is currently a very prominent debate regarding the reduction in funding for substance misuse services and rightly so. The emphasis on ensuring we are competent and thoughtful guardians of funding, and that we properly benefit service users has never been more important.
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