An evaluation to assess the implementation of NHS delivered alcohol brief interventions in Scotland has been released. NHS Health Scotland had a target to deliver 149,449 brief interventions across three priority settings of primary care, Accident & Emergency (A&E) and antenatal care between 2008-2011. The programme is currently within a one year extension.
According to the evaluation abstract:
The evaluation found a considerable degree of variation across Scotland in organisational structures and models of delivery. However, a number of common features were also identified. Those which appeared to support implementation included: the availability of funding; nationally co-ordinated and locally supported training opportunities; and national, health board and setting level ‘leaders’ able to support and encourage implementation.
Perceived barriers included: the lack of ‘lead in’ time to set up organisational structures; competing priorities; an initial lack of adequately trained staff and difficulties maintaining trained staff levels; and problems associated with the mechanisms for recording delivery. These within-setting and across-board differences and difficulties in recording ABI delivery made it difficult to accurately determine or compare who the programme was reaching. Nonetheless, by March 2011 most boards had met, if not exceeded, the three-year target.
In England, Primary Care brief interventions (also known as 'Identification and Brief Advice') are incentivised through a Direct Enhanced Service (DES), though there is no national target. See here for DES guidance.
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