NEWS

Alcohol Awareness Week 2011

14-20 November

Alcohol Awareness Week is an Alcohol Concern initiative which acts as an annual focus on particular issues relating to society's relationship with alcohol.

NICE publishes new quality standard on alcohol treatment

Wednesday 31 August 2011

NICE has published a new quality standard for alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use in people aged 10 years and over for use in all NHS-funded settings.

The quality standard on alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use has 13 statements designed to help improve care for people drinking harmfully or who are dependent on alcohol. These include offering people needing medically assisted alcohol withdrawal, treatment within the setting most appropriate to them. These may include an inpatient, residential, or community based setting. It also states that families and carers of people who misuse alcohol have their own needs identified, including those associated with risk of harm, and are offered information and support. In addition the standard states that people receiving specialist treatment for alcohol misuse have regular treatment outcome reviews, which are used to plan subsequent care.

Don Shenker, Chief Executive, Alcohol Concern said: "This new quality standard on alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use is welcomed by Alcohol Concern and we are very pleased to have been part of its development. Alcohol misuse is a very real concern in the UK in both adults and a small number of children, so it is imperative that there are standards in place to help both healthcare professionals in the treatment they provide, and patients to know what level of care to expect."