New support for Somerset hospital patients with alcohol issues

The alcohol care team also carries out assessments on patients' motivation to reduce alcohol consumption

Hospital patients who also have struggles with alcohol are being supported by a new service.

A team of nurse specialists at Musgrove Park Hospital work with patients who are dependent on alcohol, as well as those with a high alcohol intake.

Alcohol-related hospital admissions in Somerset are significantly higher than the national average.

Lead alcohol nurse Lottie Lee said the patients "greatly appreciated the education and support".

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust's (FT) alcohol care service operates seven days a week.

According to Somerset FT, about one in five adults in the county drink at levels that damage their health.

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Its hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions are 668 per 100,000 people, whereas the national average is 537 per 100,000.

Laura Jones, Somerset FT's clinical service manager for gastroenterology and endoscopy, said the Taunton-based service aimed to reduce the number of patients admitted to hospital through alcohol misuse and shorten the length of hospital stays.

She explained: "When a patient is referred to the alcohol care team, one of our nurses will see them on the ward and carry out an assessment.

"They'll either stay under the care of our team, or a referral could be made to an outside organisation, such as the Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service. We work closely with our psychiatric liaison team too."

Consultant gastroenterologists, Dr Rudi Matull and Dr Tom Johnston, played a lead role in setting up the service

Ms Lee said assessing a person's motivation to reduce their alcohol intake was "a really important step".

"Then we can signpost them to community detox services and can even make a referral on behalf of vulnerable patients. We're also able to provide colleagues, patients and family with education around alcohol."

She said they were gradually seeing more patients every week.

"And those who we've supported have told us that they've greatly appreciated the education and support we've given them around alcohol withdrawal," she added.

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