Statistics show that for much of the year at least 12% of people attending at A&E departments are there for alcohol related reasons - rising to up to 80% at peak times such as Christmas and New Year - and this puts a huge strain on the health service.
But additional support and advice is now being offered to people on the Isle of Skye with the opening of out-patient detoxification clinics at the Dr MacKinnon Memorial Hospital at Broadford and Portree Community Hospital.
Alcohol Liaison Nurse Neil Turner was appointed in May 2006 after it was discovered that the number of people being admitted to the two Skye hospitals for detoxification was almost 80% higher than the national average.
He said: “I was employed to supervise these admissions, offer advice to the medical and nursing staff and to draw up protocols to reduce the number of inappropriate admissions, which were mainly due to a lack of alternatives.”
Since then, he has accepted more than 400 referrals, generating approximately 2,000 face to face contacts, and he has reduced waiting times to see a specialist from an average of three weeks to less than one week.
He has recently introduced nurse-led drop-in clinics for the supply of Chlordiazepoxide, which is better known as Librium and is used in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal.
Mr Turner said: “Around 100 people per year are currently admitted to the two hospitals for detoxification. It is hoped that the clinics will reduce this figure by around 50%.”
He explained that the clinics offer daily prescriptions of Chlordiazepoxide and support and advice regarding relapse prevention.
They also provide monitoring of physical and mental health, alcohol counselling, assessment and referral to community supports and rehabilitation services.
Mr Turner added that self referrals are accepted and no appointment is necessary.
The programme lasts five days and can start on any week day. Those taking part must attend every day to collect their medication for the following day.
Ongoing support is then provided in the form of further relapse prevention advice and motivational interviewing.
Skye and Lochalsh Locality Manager Kate Earnshaw welcomed the introduction of the clinics. She said: “This is an innovative way of providing specialist nurse led care and improves services for people experiencing alcohol dependency.”
Clinics are held at MacKinnon Memorial Hospital, Broadford, from 10.30am to 12 noon and at Portree Hospital from 2.30pm to 4pm. The clinics at both hospitals are open every day from Monday to Friday.
Anyone wanting to find out more about the service offered at the clinics should call Mr Turner on 01478 613772.
