Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce drink and drug abuse among mental health service users.

Public Health England, with the support of NHS England, published guidance last year, ‘Better care for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol/drug use conditions: A guide for commissioners and service providers’. This guidance is designed to help ensure people who have co-occurring problems with mental health and drug use are not excluded from services. In the guidance, commissioners and service providers are encouraged to work together to improve access to services which can reduce harm, improve health, enhance recovery, enable services to respond effectively and flexibly and prevent exclusion. The document is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/625809/Co-occurring_mental_health_and_alcohol_drug_use_conditions.pdf

In addition, a national Commissioning for Quality and Innovation scheme to help prevent ill health by risky behaviours, offers an opportunity for inpatients in mental health services, who drink at or above established risk levels, to be supported with an appropriate evidence-based intervention. The scheme is intended to complement and reinforce existing activity to reduce alcohol harm in this population. Further information is available at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cquin-indicator-specification/