Agenda item

Anne Charlesworth, Partnership Lead, Public Health, gave the following presentation on the Alcohol Priority:-

The Vision

-        1 in 4 of Rotherham’s adults drink above recommended safe levels

-        To challenge the culture of binge drinking

-        To deliver the messages about risks to those adults who drink at risky levels

Rotherham Adult Population

-        Drinking above low risk levels 26.2% (51,569)

-        Drinking at harmful levels 5.3% (10,432)

-        Depend upon alcohol 3.6% (7,068)

National Strategy

-        Change behaviour so people think it was not acceptable to drink in ways that cause themselves or others harm

-        Reduce alcohol-fuelled violent crime

-        Reduce the number of adults drinking above NHS guidelines

-        Reduce the number of people binge drinking

-        Reduce the number of alcohol related deaths

-        Sustain reduction in both the numbers of 11-15 year olds drinking and the amounts they consume

Local Strategy

-        Programme of alcohol social marketing interventions using the ‘single message’ including E-learning packages and workplace interventions

-        Trialling Community Alcohol Partnerships

-        Identification of premises which cause problems and taking effective partnership action

-        Identifying individuals who cause repeated issues e.g. using Fixed Penalty Notices to attend alcohol awareness

Treatment System Priorities

-        To increase numbers seen in primary and secondary care by:-

Increased screening in GP practices – now also in Health Check

Re-commission Tier 2 provision and include more work on population awareness, screening and workplace initiatives

Gaps in provision against NICE Guidance

Keeping waiting times low

Payments by Results – Rotherham was 1 of only 4 pilots

Alcohol-related Hospital Admissions

-        53,689 alcohol-related hospital admissions – significantly higher than the national average.  Between 2010-11 and 2011-12 Rotherham’s rate had increased

-        28,827A&E – the relative position in terms of all 326 local authorities had remained the same (in the highest 25% of rates)

-        6,587 In-patients – Mortality from chronic liver disease – Rotherham’s rate was similar to England (not statistically different)

-        18,257 Out-patients – In 2010-11 Rotherham’s rate was lower than England but increase in 2011-12 and was now higher than England (but still similar).  Rotherham ranked in the highest 50-70% of all local authorities (Quartile 3)

Hospital

-        Hospital-based services – one of the Department of Health ‘hi impact changes’

-        Already have an A&E pathway targeting young people

-        1 specialist nurse working on admissions

-        Work with Ambulance Service and RFT on ‘frequent flyers’ and high volume users of hospital front line services.  Some were already known to services but not all

-        Protocol which allowed those detoxing to be discharged early to their GP

-        CCG proposing to invest in a new Service. 

Opportunities

-        Every organisation had to recognise the costs of alcohol and contribute to prevention

-        The Public Health budget may offer opportunities to increase prevention – there had been no budget for this in the past

-        How was each organisation addressing the issues through the themes:-

Prevention and Early Intervention

Expectations and Aspirations

Dependence to Independence

Healthy Lifestyles

Long Term Conditions

Poverty

Discussion ensued on possible outcomes that could be measured including:-

o   Number of parents whose children were included on the Child Protection Register/came into care due to alcohol related conditions

o   Danger that the specialist treatment services would not be able to cope with the increased referrals

o   Indicators important in terms of how Services were delivered

o   Measure self-harm, behaviour in Town Centre, effect of families by domestic violence

o   Every patient use Audit Check

The Board discussed this item and the previous item together.  Please see Minute No. S57).