Specialist alcohol addiction nurses could be used across NHS Tayside to reduce the burden on GPs and other services.
The news came after a Dundee University-led report into health centres in Scotland’s 100 most deprived areas.
In 2020, 1,190 people in Scotland died directly because of alcohol with alcohol-related deaths 4.3 times higher in the most disadvantaged areas of Scotland compared with the least, according to National Records of Scotland data.
The study, conducted by researchers at the universities of Dundee and Stirling, found the specialist nurses were viewed positively by both practice staff and patients due to their “person-centred” approach, flexible nature, and ability to be tailored to support specific individuals.
They also found that the model enabled collaborative working between practice staff because the addictions nurse was situated there.
This led to faster referrals and co-ordinated care between services and with wider community services after discharge.
Dr Andrea Mohan, from the University of Dundee, said: “People from deprived backgrounds in Scotland continue to experience serious harms such as illness and early death due to alcohol.
“This research study found that benefits can be achieved when a specialist alcohol service, such as the Primary Care Alcohol Nurse Outreach Service, works closely with general practices.
“PCANOS uses a person-centred and co-ordinated care approach to engage and support patients with moderate to severe alcohol problems who are referred by general practices serving some of the most deprived populations in Glasgow.
“It is crucial that a service like PCANOS continues to be funded as our study has shown that it is filling an important gap in alcohol service provision in Glasgow.”
Public Health Minister, Maree Todd, said: “The Scottish Government will carefully consider the findings of the report which highlights the need for more research into the effectiveness of these services for supporting people with moderate to severe alcohol problems who do not engage with alcohol services.
“We’re determined to reduce harms where they are greatest and have announced increased investment in tackling problematic alcohol and drug use including consulting on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising, reviewing the level of minimum unit pricing, progressing a review of Alcohol Brief Interventions and improving health information on product labels.”
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