Institute of Alcohol Studies
Institute of Alcohol Studies
What are Alcohol Care Teams - and why are they vital for hospitals?
What are Alcohol Care Teams - and why are they vital for hospitals?
What are Alcohol Care Teams - and why are they vital for hospitals?
Wednesday 30th July 2025
Explore the vital role of Alcohol Care Teams, their impact on patient care, and the urgent need for stable funding in healthcare settings.
40 minutes
challenging
informative
urgent
hopeful
About this podcast
Author:
Institute of Alcohol Studies
Overview:
Categories:
Navigating Alcohol Dependency
Policy & Advocacy
Financial Health in Recovery
Sexual Stigmas & Myths
Parenting & Children
Links:
Visit site
Episodes:
111 (View all)
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!Alcohol Care Teams: Vital Support for Hospitals
Episode Overview
- Alcohol Care Teams provide crucial support to vulnerable patients.
- Funding challenges threaten the sustainability of ACTs.
- Misunderstanding of addiction impacts healthcare delivery.
- Specialist nurses are key to ACTs' effectiveness.
- ACTs improve care and reduce hospital costs.
It's really, really hard to do your job and to keep your team and keep them passionate... you need to be passionate in this speciality when you work with really vulnerable people day after day.
Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs) play an essential role in supporting patients with complex alcohol problems in acute hospital settings. In this month's episode of the Alcohol Alert podcast, Professor Julia Sinclair and Arlene Copland discuss the importance and challenges faced by these teams. Professor Sinclair, a Professor of Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Southampton, and Arlene Copland, an Alcohol Nurse Consultant at Sandwell in West Birmingham NHS Trust, shared insights into the functioning and impact of ACTs.
ACTs are comprised of professionals specializing in addiction, including nurses and clinical leads, who work together to manage alcohol withdrawal and build trust with vulnerable patients. Despite their proven effectiveness in improving patient care and reducing hospital costs, many ACTs face closure due to funding cuts. This is concerning as ACTs provide essential education to healthcare colleagues about addiction, helping them manage patients who may not be seeking treatment for their alcohol use.
The discussion highlighted the misunderstanding of addiction within healthcare environments. Many healthcare professionals assume that patients with alcohol-related harms will want to change their drinking habits, which is often not the case. ACTs aim to educate colleagues and advocate for patients, linking them to community services and support networks, which are crucial for their recovery. The sustainability of ACTs is threatened by financial pressures, as NHS England's three-year funding period comes to an end.
Both guests emphasized the need for stable funding and recognition of the value these teams provide. They hope for government action and awareness among hospital trusts to secure the future of ACTs. Overall, the podcast underscores the urgency of supporting ACTs to continue their vital work, advocating for vulnerable patients and improving healthcare delivery. The conversation serves as a call to action for securing funding and fostering understanding of addiction across healthcare systems.