Impact Review 2024-25: Drug and Alcohol HIT

Improving mental health and wellbeing

HIT members were involved in an NIHR study (the RECO study) that revealed services across the UK were ill-equipped to meet the needs of people with co-existing serious mental health and substance use conditions. It recommended joined-up government policy and local integration of health and social care services, with clinical leads supporting the workforce to come together.

Launching region’s ‘No Wrong Door’ project

Following this research, the HIT held three co-designed workshops across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire in early 2025. These aimed to understand how the system can work towards providers in alcohol and drug, mental health and other services having an open-door policy for individuals with co-occurring conditions.  Fourteen organisations were involved in developing the events, which were open to staff and people with lived experience, their friends and family – all were fully booked.

If funding is secured, they plan to developing a toolkit/guide that outlines the next steps the system needs to take to implement a joined-up approach.

Understanding health needs of women who use drugs

HIT researchers at the University of Bristol supported Bristol Drugs Project, One25 and the Nelson Trust to explore the specific health needs of women who inject drugs and identify potential interventions to address these needs.

Issues highlighted in workshops with 12 women included: poor mental health; feelings of being trapped in cycles of earning money to buy drugs and unmet mental health needs, never reaching the top of waiting lists, power imbalances with staff; and the desire for services which can address multiple issues, including better domestic and sexual violence services accessible through drug services.

Health inequalities facing looked after children

HIT member Dr Michelle Farr secured funds to develop an NIHR bid to tackle the health inequalities that arise prior to, through and after care proceedings and child removal – research that has not previously been done elsewhere.

Advancing knowledge

HIT members co-authored a number of papers from projects which have been long-standing areas of interest for the team. This included two qualitative studies exploring the co-use of opioids and benzodiazepines: one looking at patterns and overdose risk, and the other motivations underlying co-use.

HIT members also published their evaluation of the Alright my Liver service which is a pilot for early detection of liver disease in high-risk groups.  The team will continue to use the findings from this research to inform service development in the region.

Funding enabled in 2024-25

The Drug and Alcohol HIT helped secure £2,629,939 in 2024-25 for projects to generate research evidence, improve outcomes and address health inequalities.