Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help introduce optimally staffed alcohol care teams in hospitals with high rates of alcohol dependence-related admissions.

The NHS England alcohol programme aims to establish optimal Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs) in acute hospitals to improve the care provided to people who have alcohol-use disorders, mainly those who are alcohol dependent. NHS England has nationally funded the rollout of ACTs in areas of greatest need, alongside the commissioning of a quality improvement network, research evaluation, and a range of direct implementation support initiatives.