Alcohol & Other Drugs
Pathways of Hope is a Public Information Comic that brings together real stories and insights from Glasgow's recovery communities.
Dr Nic Dickson, Dr Lynsay Crawford and Professor Andrea Williamson from the University of Glasgow’s School of Health and Wellbeing worked in partnership with Humanising Healthcare and the recovery community to produce an innovate co-created PIC capturing their lived experience of substance dependence and recovery.
Current teaching and training about substance dependence has little emphasis on community-based recovery groups and few opportunities to hear from those with lived experience, despite evidence of the positive impact this has on learners: Conversation Café: Lived experience in undergraduate addictions teaching
Humanising Healthcare are Dr Hugo Jobst (resident doctor), Allan Houston (Senior Addictions worker) and Dr Seonaid Anderson (Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist), and they devised and deliver ‘Conversation Cafes’ to undergraduate medical students in four out of five of Scotland’s medical schools. They facilitate small group round table conversations between medical students and community members with lived experience of substance dependence.
These conversations, hearing from people with lived experience about their experience of and recovery from substance dependency, were utilised to compile the PIC which was co-created with them.
It covers:
What leads to drugs and alcohol dependence
- Harm reduction strategies
- First steps to recovery
- The meaning of recovery
- Maintaining recovery
The PIC was launched on Friday 12th September to Scottish Government Policy makers, 3rd sector organisations, medical academics and clinicians, and the recovery community. It has been praised for authentically capturing the voices of those with lived experience and will be a powerful educational tool. The comic is free to use and can be accesses digitally at: https://doi.org/10.36399/gla.pubs.361962 and the attached flyer has a QR code for you to access a digital copy.
It will be used in teaching undergraduate medical students and post graduate doctors as a first step, and we hope it may be used by other professional groups, and in treatment and care services to help facilitate care for patients.
Dr Nic Dickson has also created this informative animation on juggling multiple health conditions as part of the SysteMatic project: Robert’s story. This 2-minute story complements the lived experience narrative captured in Pathways of Hope, and aligns with Prof Williamson’s work on Missingness in healthcare.
The comic and animation both capture lived experience in innovate ways and it is hoped that they positively contribute to improving health outcomes.
Since the publication of the suite of NICE guidelines focusing on oral substitute therapy (OST) and the 2017 Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management (the Orange Book), there have been changes in evidence, medicine formulations and the arrival of potent illicit synthetic opioids in the UK. This led to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) convening a clinical expert group to consider the evidence and clinical experience to advise DHSC on recommendations for England to supplement the Orange Book. This guidance on the choice between, and use of, methadone and buprenorphine in OST is the first output of that work. Dr Mike Kelleher, Lead author of the new recommendations will take us through the key points.
Presenter: Dr Mike Kelleher, Consultant Addictions Psychiatrist and Clinical Lead for Lambeth Addictions, National Clinical Advisor
Addiction and Inclusion Division, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
June 2025
Presented by Dr Caroline Copeland
October 2021
This joint webinar between Addiction Professionals and DDN looks at the statistics behind the worrying increase in alcohol-related deaths and will consider the causes, and what we can do to prevent further increases. Chair: Dr Steve Brinksman, Clinical Director, Addiction Professionals Kate Hall, Head of Operations, Substance Misuse Division, GMMH NHS Foundation Trust Aimee Carer, Person with lived experience Kieran Doherty Head of Quality and Governance, Inclusion
June 2021
This was a joint Addiction Professionals and Adfam webinar. Public Health England has recently published the new guidance ‘Parents with drug and alcohol problems: guidance for adult treatment and children and family services’. This webinar explores how to implement the guidance and how services can improve to meet the needs of parents, children and families.
Speakers: Virginia Wright, Parents, carers and families lead (alcohol and drugs) at Public Health England and Philip Breslin, Consultant, Adfam
For more information
Parents with alcohol and drug problems: support resources - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Quick access to data: NDTMS - National Drug Treatment Monitoring System
Quick access to the slide pack
Join the online community of professionals with an interest in parental alcohol and drug use and the impact it can have on children, carers and families at Home - Parental Alcohol and Drug Use - Knowledge Hub (khub.net) and keep up to date via our monthly newsletter for members on recent publications, policy updated and forthcoming webinars.
Naloxone
When you have completed this e-learning module, you will:
- Understand drug related deaths and risks, and how to recognise the signs and symptoms of an overdose
- Know what to do and what not to do in the event of an overdose
- Be aware of what naloxone is and how it can help
- Be familiar with naloxone provision in the UK
- Understand the importance of training people in the use of naloxone and what should be included in training
- Be aware of available naloxone products and how to use them
- Understand who naloxone should be prescribed for, and how it is prescribed
- Know how to set up naloxone services in your area.
On completion a Certificate of Completion is issued.
The notional learning time is 1 hour.
The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) lists this as an advanced learning programme for pharmacy professionals.
Gambling
Presenters:
Becky Harris, Area Manager, CNWL Addiction Services
Jack Rutter Senior Mental Health Nurse, Practice Development Lead, NHS Northern Gambling Service
Paul Evans, Operational and Development Lead at Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
A number of new NHS gambling clinics were established in 2023 following growing demand and lessons learned from the National Problem Gambling Clinic (est 2008) and the NHS Northern Gambling Service (est 2019). This webinar will discuss how the clinics work, who uses them and the sorts of issues they deal with.
March 2025
Hepatitis C
Professor Foster discusses the essential role primary care plays in eliminating hepatitis C. Having provided curative treatment through the NHS for this cancer-causing virus to around 65,000 high risk individuals, a recent UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) report estimates that the majority of remaining infection may be from historic risk factors best found within the primary care population. The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Elimination Programme is working to support GPs to find and treat these patients to achieve elimination before the global goal of 2030.
March 2022
Prescribed Medications
Presenter: Dr Jennifer Seddon, lecturer in Psychology at Oxford Brookes University.
Chair: Dr Steve Brinksman, Clinical Director, Addiction Professionals
This webinar presents the findings of a recent research project that aimed to improve patient experience, questions answered by an expert panel of Drs, pharmacists and people with lived experience of prescription medication dependence. The webinar explores the prescription and management of medicines with a risk of dependence or withdrawal and the patient experience of care. It will focus on the use of benzodiazepines, z-drugs, opioids, gabapentinoids and antidepressants. Ensuring good patient experience for people prescribed these medications is a key focus for policy and practice.
September 2023