Tom Smith, BSG Chief Executive

The BSG has submitted formal written evidence to the Health Select Committee's inquiry into the government's alcohol strategy. While the strategy has many strengths it does not present a clear vision for alcohol treatment services and we have highlighted the importance of Alcohol Care Teams in achieving this. We also call for a Minimum Unit Price of not less than 50p. Addressing these issues could present real opportunities for improving lives and mean long-term saving for the NHS. Read more on the BSG's written evidence below:

• Full BSG response  [ 60 kb ]

Scope of the Quality Standard

This quality standard covers the care of children (aged 10-15 years), young people (aged 16-17 years) and adults (aged 18 years and over) drinking in a harmful way and those with alcohol dependence in all NHS-funded settings. It also includes opportunistic screening and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful drinkers.

Alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use quality statements

The quality standard refers to harmful drinking and alcohol dependence collectively as 'alcohol misuse'. It requires that services should be commissioned from and coordinated across all relevant agencies encompassing the whole care pathway. An integrated, multidisciplinary approach to provision of services is fundamental to the delivery of high-quality care to people who misuse alcohol. A specialist alcohol service is one in which the primary role is the assessment and management of alcohol misuse, including both psychological and physical effects. Some specialist addiction services will have this role for both drug and alcohol misuse.

• Access Quality Standard document on NICE website

In 2004 Professor Roger Williams identified 34 centres in England and Wales as offering specialist hepatology services, including 6 liver transplant centres. This March 2010 report is based on a follow up survey six years later. With other sources the survey will help to build a picture of hepatology services in 2010 and how they might be developed.

• Hepatology Service Provision Survey 2010  [ 3.26 Mb ]

A Time to Act: Improving Liver Health and Outcomes in Liver Disease

• Liver disease is the 5th largest cause of death in the U.K. The average age of death from liver disease is 59 years, compared to 82-84 years for heart & lung disease or stroke.
• Liver disease morbidity and mortality are largely preventable.
• The UK is one of few developed nations with an upward trend in mortality.
• Patients are presenting and dying with liver disease at an earlier age, with a 5-fold increase in the development of cirrhosis in 35-55 year olds over the last 10 years
• The majority of treatable liver disease is undiagnosed and untreated.  Early diagnosis and treatment requires engagement of primary care.

  Attachments:

  The national plan for liver services UK 2009

  [A TIME TO ACT: IMPROVING LIVER HEALTH AND OUTCOMES IN LIVER DISEASE]

  411 Kb

  Read more...

2008's report details the action being taken at a local and national level to tackle hepatitis C across the United Kingdom (UK). Since the Agency's first annual hepatitis report for England, published in 2005, government action plans have been published in all countries of the UK. Each of the plans reflects the different priorities and concerns of that country, taking into consideration the differing systems for service delivery and the level of local accountability versus national coordination within each country. The countries are at different stages of implementation but all share common goals. We outline here the common major achievements and aspirations that are shared across the UK.

• View Report  [ ]