INCLUSION
MORE FOR LESS
There’ s a lot of talk in drug and alcohol services about complexity. But ask people using services what actually gets in the way of moving on and the answers are often simple – no data or credit on their phone, no ID, no way to get to appointments, no bank account. Things that so many of us would not give a second thought to.
Through partnerships with external organisations, Bridges has been targeting these areas to make demonstrable differences. Not via large-scale programmes or shiny pilots, but by removing practical barriers that quietly block people from accessing support, healthcare and financial safety. The outcomes show how relatively small interventions can have a huge impact on engagement, wellbeing and risk. This is work that can sit at the intersection of harm reduction, safeguarding
With just a relatively small outlay the simplest interventions can tackle exclusion where it hurts most, says Liam Knowles
and inequality and it can happen one SIM card, bus ticket and birth certificate at a time.
DATA POVERTY As everything moves further towards‘ digital by default’, the consequences of data poverty are becoming impossible to ignore. Universal Credit journals, GP appointments, e-consult forms, housing portals, appointment reminders – almost all require regular internet access.
Bridges became part of the National Databank for free mobile SIM cards and has distributed more than 350 cards to people experiencing data poverty. For many, this has been the difference between disengagement and continuity. One person supported by Bridges had repeatedly fallen foul of the Universal Credit system – without data on his phone, he relied on sporadic access to public computers, missing journal updates and deadlines.
Once he received a SIM he was able to check messages daily, upload evidence, and respond to requests in real time. His income stabilised and so has his engagement with support.
HEALTH EXCLUSION Another immediate impact has been in access to primary healthcare. Just about everyone knows how hard it is to get a GP appointment, so imagine getting one without a phone or internet access. Many surgeries require patients to call repeatedly at opening time or submit requests through e-consult systems. Without data, people are effectively excluded before they even start.
‘ I only live in the next street to my doctor, but you can’ t just walk-in. They say ring at eight in the morning, but I never had a phone with credit on.’ – PS, 44, female.
Having a working SIM has allowed people to submit online consultations, respond to appointment texts, and manage prescriptions – something that directly affects both physical health and recovery stability. For staff, it also means people can be contacted reliably, safeguarding concerns can be followed up quickly, and missed appointments are reduced. In short, connectivity is no longer a‘ digital issue’. It’ s a health and welfare issue.
BASIC NEEDS Health inequalities are often discussed in abstract terms, but for people living on very low incomes they can be as basic as not being able to afford the bus.
Bridges has provided 150 bus tickets( through a health inequalities grant managed locally on behalf of the National Lottery) to support people to attend hospital and medical appointments. The impact has been both practical and deeply human.
One man was supported with a number of‘ day tripper’ bus passes each week, allowing him to travel eight miles to visit his terminally ill partner in hospital. Without the passes, he would not
Washington Imaging / Alamy
6 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • FEBRUARY 2026 WWW. DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS. COM