Guidance published to support the roles of doctors in drug and alcohol treatment

The National Treatment Agency (NTA) has highlighted new guidance on the roles and competencies of doctors in drug and alcohol treatment. It highlights the need for services to employ teams with the right mix of skills and clinical expertise to support recovery from drug and alcohol problems. 

Delivering quality care for drug and alcohol users: the roles and competencies of doctors provides a clear analysis of the medical competencies involved in working with drug and alcohol users. The report has been published  by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It is also intended to support the transition towards new commissioning arrangements for drug and alcohol services next year. 

The guidance aims to help commissioners, employers and others to meet their legal and regulatory requirements and provide a high quality service. It will also help doctors working in the sector to ensure that they are meeting General Medical Council requirements on revalidation.

The Substance Misuse Management in General Practice (SMMGP) is a network to support GPs and other primary health practitioners who work with substance misuse in the UK.

NICE alcohol guidance is available covering a range of treatment and prevention areas, including quality standards, alcohol pathways and further tools.