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Supporting local commissioners and partnerships in addressing those variations is a priority for the Department. At Alcohol Concern’s conference in November last year, I was pleased to be able to announce the publication of guidance for developing a local programme of improvement for alcohol misuse. I hope that those working in this area in Plymouth will find that useful. It provides detail on the evidence of alcohol harm to individuals, families and communities, and our ideas and aspirations for identifying the problem and improving health.
The guidance also presents some very clear economic arguments for action. That is important when PCTs and local authorities, perhaps through the local strategic partnerships but also local area agreements, are thinking about how this fits in the context of the wider needs of the community in terms of regeneration and the economy, but also the social cost of doing nothing.
Every £1 spent on alcohol treatment would save£5 on wider public sector costs. My hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport referred to the issues around time spent in hospitals and bed days due to admission for a wider range of chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and, of course, cirrhosis of the liver, all of which can be linked to alcohol. I am sure that each of us here this evening could add many more examples of where alcohol is part of a bigger problem in our communities.
We have also set out in the guidance some practical steps for local health organisations, local authorities and others seeking to work with the NHS to tackle alcohol misuse. We are providing practical guidance to improve screening and brief interventions for those who are drinking at hazardous and harmful levels but do not necessarily see it as a problem that requires treatment in the traditional sense of that word. In doing that, we can assess local need, identify the local service gaps and examine the partnerships between primary care trusts, local authorities, accident and emergency departments and others in delivering some of the screening and brief interventions in a way that is, I believe, good value for money.
A database, developed with the North West Public Health Observatory, was made available in December 2005. It will help regions determine local levels of misuse and identify gaps in treatment. Later this week, I will launch “Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers”, which the Department commissioned from the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. It sets out a framework for commissioning and providing intervention and treatment for adults who are affected by alcohol misuse. It sets out how we can strengthen the arguments for commissioning and the success of commissioning in what is purchased and tendered for by organisations that believe that they can play a part in providing services.
My hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton made a point about prevention. We are working closely with the Home Office on a joint campaign to promote responsible drinking among young people through clearer and better targeted information. That is planned for later this year. We are also working with the alcoholic drinks industry and non-industry stakeholders such as the British Liver Trust on promoting more responsible drinking and preventing alcohol misuse.
In answer to a
point made by the hon. Member for South-West Devon, I have asked a
group of industry representatives to work with Department officials to
consider sensible drinking messages. The position is not the same as
that on cigarettes but it might be helpful to explore sensible drinking
messages and clearer unit information on the products and at the point
of sale. Of course, alcohol should be included when schools deal with
substance misuse, alongside
illegal drugs, cigarettes, prescription drugs and glue. Part of dealing
with the problem is understanding the way in which alcohol misuse has
changed, and promoting a better understanding among young people of the
dangers that they present to themselves.
The balance of funding between drugs and alcohol is difficult to achieve. Separate funding in the NHS is given only to drug expenditure because it was believed to be a poor relation in NHS priorities. That expenditure is supported by Home Office investment. That is not to say that we have not been able, more recently, to take stock of what is happening with alcohol and ascertain where we can achieve better connectivity between the different forms of substance misuse and the different levels and perceptions of misuse. We need to pay attention to that.
Linda Gilroy: My hon. Friend mentioned schools. We have an active students union in Plymouth. It had a good campaign to help with the problem of spiked drinks. Will she also try to engage student unions in her work?
Caroline Flint: That is a good idea. We have engaged student unions on several matters, including sexual health. Involving student unions as one of the partners is well worth exploring in areas where there is a large student population.
A message that we want to try to convey to young people is that one of the consequences of consuming too much alcohol is the danger in which one puts oneself, whether one is a man or a woman. Sometimes the more traditional health messages do not cut any ice with a young person who cannot imagine what it is like to be 30. Talking about personal risk of, for example, getting involved in fights or being sexually assaulted, has a resonance with young people. We do not want to scare people, but we should talk about such things and how to protect oneself in the best way possible.
I hope that I have identified some of the ways in which we are exploring how we can strengthen services and identify the gaps for which funding could be sourced for better use. We are considering piloting some of the brief interventions, for example, in identifying appropriate treatment, especially for binge drinkers. Perhaps treatment is the wrong word and engagement is preferable initially, so that people feel that they can talk about the matter and how it affects them.
My hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton also mentioned town centres—
The motion having been made at Ten o’clock, and the debate having continued for half an hour, Mr. Speaker adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.
Adjourned at half-past Ten o’clock.
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