Alcohol Policy UK

The £15M for alcohol: allocations per PCT

Although we have the unofficial allocations for London of the £15M, the picture for the rest of England has been unclear until now. 

Caroline Flint said in Parliament last week that the new money for alcohol work constitutes 0.25% of the uplift PCTs will receive for 2007/08. The uplift for each (old) PCT was announced in HSC 2005/001: Primary Care Trust Recurrent Revenue Allocations 2006-07 & 2007-08, in February 2005, here.

So to work out your allocation for alcohol, look at the column "2007-08 increase" for your PCT, and multiply the figure by 0.25%.

The Parliamentary Question:

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage the £15 million earmarked to improve alcohol interventions in 2007-08 represents of the total uplift in revenue for NHS primary care trusts (PCTs) for that year; and how much each PCT received of that £15 million.

Caroline Flint: The 2006-07 and 2007-08 primary care trust (PCT) revenue allocations separately identify £342 million funding in support of public health initiatives, including £15 million for alcohol interventions in 2007-08. £15 million is 0.25 per cent of the £6 billion uplift in 2007-08 PCT allocations.

PCTs have been encouraged to invest additional funding to improve their local arrangements for commissioning and delivering alcohol treatment services based on local need. PCTs were informed of their shares of the £342 million funding but not their shares of each initiative.
Hansard

Alcohol in the news (Scotland) 22.3.07

• A pressure group has called for a Scottish Parliament inquiry into alcohol-related health problems.  The move comes a month after Health Minister Andy Kerr announced a strategy for tackling alcohol abuse.  Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) is particularly worried about low-cost drink promotions in supermarkets and off-licences.

The group will present a petition to the parliament on Tuesday and will publish its parliamentary manifesto.  The organisation wants the health and community care committee to lead an inquiry into Scotland's alcohol problems.  It wants the Scottish Executive to look at extending the promotions mechanism in the Licensing (Scotland) Act to cover supermarkets, off-licences and shops as a means of preventing the low-cost promotion and sale of alcohol.  BBC News

• Persistent drunken troublemakers would be subjected to weekend "stay-at-home" curfews in Edinburgh under plans being drawn up by Labour councillors ahead of May's local elections. Council wardens and police officers would be charged with keeping track of the offenders in the first instance by simply telephoning them at home.

The move is to be a key manifesto commitment in the city as part of local Labour plans to curb antisocial behaviour. But opposition politicians today condemned the plans as further evidence of a creeping "nanny state" culture and cast doubt on whether they would ever see the light of day. Under the plans, special antisocial behaviour orders would be sought in court, which senior councillors believe judges would agree to without the need for further legislation or anyone being electronically tagged. Anyone caught breaking one of the court orders would face being jailed.  Scotsman

Budget changes to alcohol duty: only the Whisky industry is happy

• Alcohol Concern criticised the 2007 Budget delivered to the House of Commons for failing to address the damage done by alcohol misuse. Srabani Sen, Chief Executive, said:

"Once again the Treasury shows how unwilling it is to make the difficult choices required to cut down the level of alcohol-related harm in the country. This year's increases in excise duty (that are only in line with inflation) means that alcohol remains 54% more affordable than it was twenty years ago, despite the evidence showing that taxation is a key tool for reducing excessive consumption, and the damage this causes.

There was a real opportunity for the Treasury to show some leadership and contribute to positive change at a time when Government is conducting a comprehensive review of its alcohol harm reduction policies. But for this year at least, that chance has been lost" 

politics.co.uk

• The Scotch whisky industry was last night toasting the Chancellor's 10th year without a tax hike on spirits, but its festive mood was not shared by health watchdogs. Doctors have been calling for a sharp rise in alcohol prices in order to combat Scotland's epic problems of ill-health and violence associated with alcohol. Instead, they got 1p on a pint of beer or cider, 5p on a glass of wine and 7p on sparkling wine, and nothing on spirits, encompassing everything from Scotch, vodka, rum, rum, gin - and alcopops.

Dr Peter Rice, spokesman for Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, was dismayed that the Chancellor had frozen the duty on Scotch whisky and other spirit drinks.

"Alcohol misuse and related harm is one of biggest public health problems in the UK, and Scotland in particular," he said. "We have seen worrying trends, a rise in liver disease and in hospital admissions. There is strong evidence that the price of alcohol affects how much people drink, yet it is 60% more affordable now than it was 25 years ago, and there has been a three-fold increase in liver disease in that time."

Angus Robertson, vice-chairman of the all-party parliamentary Scotch Whisky industry group, also welcomed the continuing freeze, for which he had been strenuously lobbying. As SNP MP for Moray, Mr Robertson has a constituency containing more than half of of Scotland's malt whisky distilleries. He said: "The whisky sector is one of Scotland's key industries and the Treasury has recognised the need for a duty freeze." 
The Herald

• Pub trade associations and brewers have hit out at the rise in duty on alcohol announced in today’s Budget. And consumer group the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said pubs had been denied a "lifeline". Gordon Brown revealed that beer will rise by 1p a pint from midnight on Sunday.

"This is a slap in the face for one of Britain's world beating businesses," said Mark Hastings, director of communications at the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). “Gordon Brown has chosen to turn his back on a brewing sector facing intense pressure from rapid cost inflation and the forthcoming smoking ban.”   

The Publican

Alcohol in the Budget 2007

The 2007 budget, announced by Gordon Brown today, includes inflationary rises in duty for beer, wine and cider, with no rise for spirits.  This will disappoint many in the alcohol harm reduction field who want to see price increases to curb consumption.

Here's the extract from Chapter 5, Building a Fairer Society, p130

5.124 Budget 2007 announces that spirits duties are again frozen, for the tenth successive Budget, meaning the total tax on a standard bottle of spirits will be £1.77 lower than if duty had risen in line with inflation since 1997; duties on beer, wine, sparkling wine and cider will
increase in line with inflation, adding 1 penny to a pint of beer, 5 pence to a standard 75 centilitre bottle of wine, 7 pence to a 75 centilitre bottle of sparkling wine and 1 penny to a litre of cider.

5.125 It is also important that businesses are treated fairly. Currently, inconsistencies andomissions in the excise duty regimes mean that businesses may not always have the appropriate rights of review or appeal against decisions made by HMRC. The Government will consult over the summer to identify areas where the review and appeal process for excise.

Full Budget 2007 details here.

Workshop: improving alcohol treatment in the real world, 2nd April

Our first workshop in the alcohol strategy action planning series is being repeated due to popular demand on 2nd April, 2 to 4.20pm, in Central London.  There are a few places left - please let Libby Ranzetta know if you want to come.

The improving alcohol treatment in the real world workshop is aimed at local alcohol champions (people that want to get things moving on alcohol).  Everyone is welcome, but bear in mind that the focus is on strategy and making cunning plans,  rather than treatment practice.

More details on what the workshop will cover here.

The workshops are provided free of charge by alcoholpolicy.net and London Drug and Alcohol Network (LDAN).

Tackling young people's drinking pt84

• You may think it would be easy to get a drink in a market town where all the pubs have 24-hour licences. But in North Walsham, which has been branded the drinking capital of Europe, buying a pint, or any other form of alcohol, just got a little bit tougher. For years the town has suffered problems of drunken teenagers running riot, disrupting the community and hurling abuse. Things got so bad church services were disrupted by drunken shouting youngsters and the windows of St Nicholas' church smashed. Things go so bad the vicar, the Reverend Derek Earis was moved to write a letter to a national newspaper. Now, in a bid to tackle the problem head on Norfolk police have been working closely with Sainsbury's on a robust staff training programme to make sure alcohol is not sold or supplied to youngsters.  Norwich Evening News

• THE Bournville booze row reached a crescendo when families warned Tesco bosses: "We will boycott you if you sell alcohol.'' Hundreds of people from all parts of the historical community turned out to sign a petition opposing an alcohol licence. Shopkeepers, housewives, church groups and residents all joined forces, with more than 500 people signing the document in less than an hour.Reverend Peter Babington, of St Francis Church and Youth Centre, said that he was worried about the effects it will have on young people. Mr Babington said: "The store is only 200 metres from our youth centre and we fear that an off licence could undermine a lot of good work that has been done here.  ic Birmingham See also The Stirrer

• People living near Jocelyn Park in Chard have been urged to report any anti-social behaviour to the police. Last week, Chard town and district councillor Dave Bulmer said measures to tackle louts were not working after he cleared up more cans and broken bottles from the park on Sunday morning. This week, Sgt Andy Kingston, of Chard Police, said: "Between Friday morning and Sunday night, there were no reported incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Jocelyn Park area. However, I would encourage members of the public who witness such behaviour, including under age drinking, to report it to the police and we will respond."   Chard and Ilminster News

• 'No ID, No Entry!' is the message being put across to underage drinkers as well as their parents in Lurgan, Banbridge, Portadown, Lisburn and Newry.  And while the initiative is centred on Banbridge it will have far reaching consequences with so many young people in the Lurgan area travelling to venues in the neighbouring town.  With underage drinking an issue of increasing public concern, members of Banbridge Night Traders Association have vowed to work in partnership with Banbridge PSNI and Banbridge Night-Time Economy Working Group in order to tackle this issue head-on.  Already thirteen members of Banbridge Night Traders Association have signed up to a new code of conduct in which they have agreed to a number of conditions, the most important being a zero tolerance approach to underage drinking.   Lurgantoday

Cirrhosis in young people doubles over last decade

The number of cases of alcohol related cirrhosis of the liver has more than doubled amongst young people aged 25-34 over the last decade, according to figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats.  The new figures from parliamentary answers provide a breakdown by age group of the total number of cases of alcohol related cirrhosis of the liver, which has also soared nearly threefold. 

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley MP said: “The UK has one of the worst binge drinking problems in Europe. Ministers should have woken up to this issue and taken action years ago.  It is especially worrying to think how early these young people must have started drinking to get so ill.  These tragic cases are symptomatic of the serious and growing problem of underage drinking.  Health professionals have repeatedly warned ministers about the increasing danger of binge drinking amongst our young people, but too little has been done. 

"The Government’s obsession with hospital waiting times means it has ignored prevention. The root causes of ill-health must be understood and the balance shifted towards prevention rather than cure.” 
24dash.com 

• The Parliamentary question from Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diagnoses of alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver there were in each of the last10 years, broken down by age.

• The figures are available on Hansard here.

Alcohol Liaison Forum 28th March

The Alcohol Liaison Forum in London on Wednesday 28th March in Central London is now fully booked.  But don't worry, we will be podcasting the event for those who can't attend - keep an eye on Alcohol Policy UK, or drop us a line if you want an email alert as soon as the podcast is available.

The event is for nurses, alcohol and/or drugs workers with an interest in alcohol liaison at hospitals or other settings. The main emphasis will be alcohol liaison work in hospitals and health care settings, but staff from other settings will be there - especially colleagues developing alcohol work at primary care, criminal justice and domestic violence services.

Key speakers:

• Mr Robin Touquet - St Mary’s Hospital consultant and champion of A&E liaison
• Dr Allan Thomson - Honorary Senior Lecturer, University College
• Dr Irene Guerrini - Associate Specialist in Addiction, Senior Research Scientist, University College
• Dr Robert Patton - Health Service Research Coordinator, National Addiction Centre

Presentations will include:

• Development and implementation of screening and referral for hospital liaison services. 
• Hospital guidelines for alcohol withdrawal management.
• Wernicke-Korsakoffs Encephalopathy—diagnosis and treatment
• Hospital staff attitudes to screening and referral—a round table discussion with hospital doctors and nurses who have taken part in these projects.

Download the Forum flier for more info

Alcohol Harm Reduction Coordinator post, Coventry

Alcohol Harm Reduction Coordinator, Coventry
You will produce, promote, and, through the careful co-ordination of work and
statutory plans across the diverse agencies, achieve the objectives of the Alcohol Harm
Reduction Strategy.

• Details here.
• Closing date 23rd March

Update on the £15M for alcohol interventions: allocations for London PCTs

Recap on the £15M
The Dept of Health wrote to all PCTs in 2005, saying:

Alcohol interventions Funding is available from 2007-08 and has been allocated on a weighted capitation basis to all PCTs.

• The total amount available is £15M for English PCTs.  More details on the provenance of the money can be found here.

• The funding is not ringfenced for alcohol, and will come into mainstream PCT budgets from April as part of their general uplift.

• We understand that PCTs will be performance-managed on its use. PCTs that do not invest the money on developing alcohol interventions, will not receive the funding from April 2008.  However, this is unofficial; Strategic Health Authorities should be able to confirm or deny this at local level.

How much funding has been allocated to each PCT?
It seems that many local alcohol leads have struggled to get information about how much their PCT will receive (and what the PCT plans to do with it).   The allocation is based on the normal capitation formula for PCTs and it does not appear to incorporate any additional calcuations based on alcohol-related need. 

Alcohol Concern has been unable to obtain allocations per PCT from the Department of Health, and are arranging for a Parliamentary Question to be tabled.  This should tell us what proportion the £15M makes up of the overall uplift - so that the local figures can be calculated.  We have obtained unofficial allocations for London PCTs - see below.

If you have any information about what's happening where you are, please do leave a comment, or contact us.

What will the funding be used for?
This is for the PCT to decide.  There is no requirement to spend it on alcohol interventions.  In London, most of the alcohol coordinators would like to see the funding used to develop hospital based early interventions.

Allocations for London
These figures have been given to London PCT Chief Executives for planning purposes, but have not been officially confirmed.

• 92k  Barnet
• 81k  Camden
• 82k  Enfield
• 80k  Haringey
• 72k  Islington
• 59k  Barking & Dagenham
• 92k  City & Hackney
• 70k  Havering
• 100k Newham
• 67k   Redbridge
• 87k  Tower Hamlets
• 73k  Waltham Forest
• 90k  Brent
• 96k  Ealing
• 58k  Hammersmith & Fulham
• 55k  Harrow
• 69k  Hillingdon
• 66k  Hounslow
• 60k  Kensington & Chelsea
• 76k  Westminster
• 60k  Bexley
• 83k  Bromley
• 79k  Greenwich
• 96k  Lambeth
• 82k  Lewisham
• 90k  Southwark
• 96k  Croydon
• 43k  Kingston
• 46k  Richmond & Twickenham
• 101k Sutton & Merton
• 80k  Wandsworth