Agenda item

North Tyneside Strategic Alcohol Partnership: Update and Action Plan

To receive an update on the North Tyneside Strategic Alcohol Partnership and alcohol-related harm in North Tyneside.

Minutes:

The Board received an update on the North Tyneside Strategic Alcohol Partnership and alcohol-related harm in North Tyneside.

 

Alcohol was a key public health issue and the harmful effects of excessive consumption had an effect at the individual, family and community level. Data suggested that 25.2% of adults in North Tyneside drank more than the recommended limit of 14 units per week in 2015-2018. It was estimated that 1.63% of North Tyneside residents were dependent on alcohol, which was over 2,600 adults. However, there were only 480 people accessing specialist treatment services for alcohol dependence in 2020-2021.

 

The North Tyneside Strategic Alcohol Partnership had been established to facilitate a whole system approach to addressing the health, social and economic harms caused by alcohol to individuals, communities and families in North Tyneside. The Partnership had previously reported to the Board however whilst place-based partnership arrangements are being developed in the context of changes to the NHS, the group would also report to the Future Care Programme Board. The revised Terms of Reference of the Partnership were presented to the Board.

 

The Partnership had recently re-convened following the Covid-19 pandemic, consisting of representatives from a range of partner agencies. The partnership had reviewed data and agreed that there should be a focus on reducing demand and availability, reducing consumption in those that drink more than ‘lower risk’ levels and seeking assurances that services are able to respond where alcohol-related harm is identified.

 

The following high level priority areas had been identified, and these would inform the formulation of an action plan:

   Reduce the proportion of adults who drink more than 14 units a week to below the best rate in the region of 20.2%

   Reduce the rate of alcohol-related and alcohol-specific admissions in adults to the same as or less than the England rate

   Reduce the rate of alcohol-related and alcohol-specific admissions in young people to the same as or less than the England rate

   Explore the scale of broader social harms linked to alcohol, such as domestic abuse and self-neglect, and consider how to address this further in North Tyneside

 

In November 2021 members of the Alcohol Partnership had provided updates on activity during the pandemic and planned activity for the future including a 5 week “Alcohol Causes Cancer” campaign to be broadcast on TV and radio,

1:1 support for problematic alcohol use, strengthened processes to identify harmful drinking in people attending hospital, a strengthened harm reduction approach by the Police, several workstreams within the Council including work around licensing and domestic abuse, the probation service’s specialist alcohol support and PROPS support to families.

 

The high level priorities and planned activity would now be drawn together into an Alcohol Control Plan to be agreed by the Partnership in the coming weeks. The Board considered the challenge of identifying un-engaged needs, and the inequalities and barriers to accessing services. Whilst it was acknowledged that the range of services offered by the partnership might not suit the needs of everyone, and other alternative services were available, the forthcoming re-procurement of alcohol support services presented an opportunity to consider accessibility.  

 

Resolved that (1) the report in relation to the North Tyneside Strategic Alcohol Partnership and alcohol-related harm in North Tyneside be noted;

(2) the Strategic Alcohol Partnership’s high-level priorities as set out above be endorsed and inform the formulation of an Alcohol Control Plan; and

(3) the future reporting arrangements from the Strategic Alcohol Partnership to the Future Care Programme Board be approved.

Supporting documents: