D rug harm continues to be a significant problem in the UK , with 19 per cent of people who inject sharing needles according to the most recent Unlinked anonymous monitoring ( UAM ) report from the UK Health Security Agency . And drug-poisoning deaths have hit the highest level in 30 years – fuelled by a 30 per cent rise in fatalities involving cocaine and the introduction of synthetic opioids such as nitazenes into the drug supply ( DDN , November , page 4 ). For the London Borough of Hackney , an area with a diverse population and pockets of severe need , these issues mean that not only is investment in harm reduction services vital – so is innovation in how they work . This has led to the creation of the Hackney Harm Reduction Hub this year .
The service was set up by the London Joint Working Group on Substance Use and Hepatitis C ( LJWG ) and The Hepatitis C Trust , and is funded by Hackney Council and NHS England . At the heart of the project is a peer-driven model that draws on lived and living experience of
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substance use in its design , and among its staff and volunteers .
A NEW LEASE OF LIFE ‘ Before I got involved with hepatitis C work and the Hackney hub , I knew about needle use and the liver risks , and I had family affected by it , but I felt isolated and alone ,’ says Anne- Marie , a volunteer with the service . ‘ Volunteering with the hub has given me a new lease of life – I can get out there and meet others . That ’ s what I like about the service . We ’ ve knocked on doors in the hostels and gotten groups of people to come along . It brings people together .’
The goal is a welcoming and inclusive environment where those seeking support can be met where they are – physically and emotionally – to access all the equipment they need , be signposted to other services , and receive support from peers who understand their circumstances . This came about after a scoping report highlighted the loss of services that provide needle and syringe programmes ( NSP ) ( DDN , February 2022 , page 5 ), as well as issues with quality and stigma even in those that remained . Using a van and trailer
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provided by Hackney ’ s community wellbeing team , the service would be operating in Ridley Road Market in the centre of the borough for a day a week , before adding another day and branching out to other sites . The hub ’ s team scoped hotspots where drug use was most common , identifying consistent sites so that clients knew where the van and trailer would be running . By providing high-quality harm reduction services in familiar settings , the team can engage people who might otherwise avoid other service offers and locations .
Once embedded in communities , the hub provides resources like needle and syringe provision , hepatitis C testing ,
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naloxone and testing strips to enable people to check for nitazenes , fentanyl and xylazine . ‘ The service means people can test their heroin before putting it in their body ,’ says peer coordinator with The Hepatitis C Trust , Richard Jacklin . ‘ There had been a wave of seven overdoses when we started . There are fewer now – it ’ s going to take time , but the message is getting out there .
Choreograph / iStock
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