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 ensure that alcohol treatment services signpost family members and friends to national mutual aid organisations, such as Al-Anon Family Groups.

The Department has published extensive guidance and resources to support effective practice for the commissioners and providers of alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services, recommending they should provide support to family members and friends and facilitate their access to mutual aid groups such as Al-Anon Family Groups. Examples of guidance and resources include the United Kingdom clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment, the Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, the Recovery support services and lived experience initiative, and the Facilitating Access to Mutual Aid toolkit, all of which are available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg115/chapter/Recommendations#principles-of-care

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-misuse-and-dependence-uk-guidelines-on-clinical-management

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recovery-support-services-and-lived-experience-initiatives

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mutual-aid-toolkit-for-alcohol-and-drug-misuse-treatment

The Department is also supporting a National Institute for Health and Care Research funded study to build the UK evidence base on facilitated access to mutual aid. Findings are expected in 2030. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR169047