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National alcohol needs assessment for England 2004

On 1 November 2005, the Department of Health (DH) published a report (Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project (ANARP): the 2004 national alcohol needs assessment for England) which presents information at national and regional level to highlight the range of alcohol use disorders in the population and the range of services currently available to offer treatment for alcohol problems. It also identifies gaps in services and the regional variations in access to current treatment.

The Programme of Improvement includes publication of an audit of treatment, giving a national picture of trends of alcohol misuse and the availability of alcohol treatment services throughout the country. Results from the study include:

• Eight million people drink above recommended limits (alcohol use disorders).
• The prevalence of alcohol dependence overall was 3.6% of the adult population, equating to 1.1 million people.
• There was a decline in all alcohol use disorders with age.
• Levels of alcohol dependence varied between regions from 1.6% to 5.2%.
• There were low levels of identification, treatment and referral of patients with alcohol use disorders by GPs.
• GPs tended to under-identify younger patients with alcohol use disorders compared to older patients.
• There were 43% more agencies providing alcohol treatment services than previously identified.
• There was a high level of satisfaction with specialist services.
• The estimated annual spend on specialist alcohol treatment is £217 million.

From January 2006, the Department of Health will hold nine regional conferences to discuss with health providers how to use the Programme of Improvement to best effect in each area.

The full report can be viewed on the DH website [External website]