AQW 4101/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 05/10/2022
Answered On Date: 12/10/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to provide an update on the implementation of Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery: A Strategic Framework to Tackle the Harm from Substance Use 2021-31.

Answer:

I launched Northern Ireland's 10-year Substance Use Strategy, “Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery”, last year. The Strategy’s Vision is that people in Northern Ireland are supported in the prevention and reduction of harm and stigma related to the use of alcohol and other drugs, have access to high quality treatment and support services, and will be empowered to maintain recovery.

Robust governance structures have now been put in place to oversee the delivery and implementation of the strategy. Chaired by Professor Sir Michael McBride, a cross-sectoral Substance Use Strategy Programme Board has been established to provide strategic oversight of progress against the outcomes and actions in the strategy. The Programme Board is underpinned by the HSC Substance Use Strategic Planning Group, which is co-chaired by the Public Health Agency and the Strategic Planning & Performance Group and is leading on the co-delivery of the strategy. The first task of this Strategic Planning Group is the development of a new whole-system delivery framework to address trends in increasing demand and complexity, current and future resource, gaps provision, service pressures, workforce issues and equity of access.

At the same time, we have been taking forward a number of early actions to deliver of the key priorities of the strategy. A key initial focus has been on improving access to services. Work on the Rapid Review of Opioid Substitution Therapy in Prisons has been undertaken. A specification has also been developed for an Independent Review Tier 4 Inpatient Services, and this review is about to begin. In addition, a Population-Based Needs Assessment for Substance Use Services in the Western HSC Trust Area is also about to commence.

A further early action in the new strategy was to hold a public consultation on the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Northern Ireland. This consultation ran from February to May 2022 – 521 responses were received and are being analysed, and research has been commissioned to update the modelling of the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing in Northern Ireland.

Finally, I recently allocated £500,000 to support the implementation of the strategy, however full delivery will be dependant on further resources becoming available.