NEWS FOCUS
WEATHERING THE
While COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the vulnerable, the economy
and society as a whole, it is also generating – by necessity – some new
and innovative ways of working. DDN reports
W
ith the UK’s
lockdown
now in its
second
month,
everyone
has had to adjust to the ‘new
normal’. However, in much the
same way that COVID-19 can be
far more damaging to people with
weakened immune systems or pre-
existing conditions, so it has the
potential to cause disproportionate
damage to sectors already depleted
by year after year of shrinking
budgets. Whether the inevitable
recession that comes in its wake
will lead to greater austerity, or
whether renewed respect for
health services and – perhaps – a
different attitude to society’s most
vulnerable might see the drug and
alcohol sector get off relatively
lightly (DDN, April, page 7) is yet to
be seen.
In the meantime treatment
services, like everyone else, are
having to get by as best they can.
Substance misuse staff have been
designated as key workers eligible
for COVID-19 testing if they display
symptoms and for school-based
care for their children, which means
the sector is able to function better
than most. Arrangements have
also been made to try to ensure
people can get their substitute
medication, and organisations have
also been able to move elements of
their support online.
GUIDANCE
The government published
its guidance for treatment
services and commissioners
on 15 April (see news, page 4)
which – alongside instructions
to minimise face-to-face contact,
scale back hep C testing and defer
detoxes – recommends increasing
provision of harm reduction
measures including naloxone, and
encourages services to increase
stock held by NSPs and allow
people to take more equipment.
The guidance also advocates new
ways of working, such as by phone
or video call, something most
organisations were already doing.
‘I do think that the drug and
alcohol sector were getting on with
it ourselves because of the very
nature of what we do,’ director of
health, care and wellbeing at the
Calico Group, Nicola Crompton-Hill,
tells DDN. ‘But I think what the
guidance did was offer reassurance.
One example was that staff were
recognised as key workers. That
alone really helped me and the
management teams realise we’d be
able to manage staffing levels and
safeguarding better.’
‘We were heartened to read
the guidance, especially as WDP
had already implemented the
overwhelming majority of it,’
agrees WDP chair Yasmin Batliwala.
‘The guidance is sensible and
comprehensive but will of course
need to be updated to suit the ever-
changing situation, particularly as
lockdown restrictions are eased
and we begin the return towards
normal service operation – albeit
with stringent protection measures
in place.’
WDP has moved support to
online resources, videoconferencing
facilities and phone appointments
where it’s considered safe for
the service user, although it
also continues to safely operate
Bath: A
volunteer PPE
manufacturing
initiative set
up in a school
sports hall
during the
coronavirus
pandemic.
Credit: Andrew
Lloyd/Alamy
6 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • MAY 2020
‘The drug and
alcohol sector were
getting on with it
ourselves because
of the very nature
of what we do...
But I think what
the guidance
did was offer
reassurance.’
NICOLA CROMPTON-HILL
in-person appointments. ‘Our IT
department has also rolled out a
large amount of equipment and
support in a short space of time, for
example a desktop phone system
used on tablets to allow staff to
make and receive calls using the
usual service number,’ she says.
It’s possible that one of the
long-term impacts of all of this
might be a shift towards more
online support and counselling
generally, although clearly there are
areas where this will be far from
ideal. ‘We’ve been adapting the
model and the programme where
we can to offer virtual support and
WWW.DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS.COM