Improving Alcohol Treatment and in particular reducing alcohol related admissions is a core aim of the WISMS ICO

The ICO project team agreed that one of the most effective ways of ensuring progress is made would be to make the alcohol workstream a standing item on the Alcohol Health Delivery Group

One of the crucial levers for tackling alcohol related hospital admissions will be the completion of an alcohol needs assessment focussing on PSA 25

Public Service Agreement (PSA 25) is the first ever PSA to target alcohol admissions. PSA 25 Indicator 2: The number of alcohol-related hospital admissions will, "drive the reduction of the harms caused to health and well-being by frequent consumption of harmful levels of alcohol. But it will also measure the impact of prevention interventions

Reducing alcohol admissions is included in the National Indicator Set for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships (NIS 39).

The successful delivery of PSA 25 relies on ensuring a competent workforce at all levels of the career framework and in a range of settings. The ICO's integrated workforce strategy will focus on the health workforce and that of our partners including health trainers, nurses, allied health professionals, doctors, support workers and others who may offer brief interventions

While the health needs assessment will engage all partners in identifying gaps in current provision and workforce capacity and capability WISMS and the Wakefield Alcohol team will consider potential restructures and methods for engaging and intervening with people whilst they are on the waiting list. Some of the ideas that are being actively explored are contained in the summary of the Wakefield Alcohol team's innovations workshop and a recent presentation made to the ICO Board