Drug and alcohol services in North Yorkshire

The team also provides a joined-up approach working with a range of partners to achieve better outcomes for service users affected by complex issues – such as homelessness, health inequalities and domestic abuse, in addition to their substance misuse.

The service was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC which stated that ‘Clients were truly respected, valued and empowered, practically and emotionally, by an exceptional service’.

Notable activities include:

• End of life pathways – working with hospitals, York Drug and Alcohol services and palliative care specialists to study end of life care in complex opioid replacement patients, giving service users the opportunity to die at home if they wish.
• Alcohol Acquired Brain Injuries (ARBI) – working with dementia and psychiatry services to hep patents with ARBI to access timely diagnosis and clinical support. Emma helped to introduce the MOCA sale in North Yorkshire Horizons, a screening tool used to identify memory impairment in alcohol-dependent individuals
• Prescribing and clinical support for veterans – worked with Humankind (since 2017) to provide prevention medication to army veterans receiving care at Catterick Garrison
• Remote consultations – during the COVID 19 pandemic the team established remote and agile alcohol detoxification, to enable us to meet the soaring need for support during lockdown
• Naloxene guide for GPs – the service produced a guide for GPs around the use of naloxone (a drug used to lessen the impact of opioid use)
• Introduction of a Dual Diagnosis lead – working with to support patients with mental health concerns.

Clinical Manager, Emma Newlove, was shortlisted as Clinical Leader of the Year by the HSJ (2020), in recognition of her exceptional leadership and commitment to addressing health inequalities among substance misusers.  The North Yorkshire Horizons drug and alcohol service was also shortlisted for Team of the Year in the Nursing Times Awards (2020).