Addiction services – pg 48

– Additional funding of €2.28m over three years was provided to tackle drug and alcohol misuse in the community, supporting the 12 strategic health initiatives to address priorities set out in the National Drugs Strategy Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, A health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025.

 – In collaboration with Tusla, the needs of children affected by parental problem alcohol and other drug use are being addressed. Hidden Harm, Practice Guide was published, setting out how to bridge the gap between adult and children’s services in favour of a more family-focused approach that considers the needs of dependent children and other family members. An eLearning training programme was developed and commenced. The development of the hidden harm skills based practice training also commenced. A separate Opening our Eyes to Hidden Harm information leaflet was also developed to support staff to help those families being affected.

See PDF p 75. for Key Performance Indicators

Opioid Substitution

No. of clients in receipt of opioid substitution treatment (outside prisons)

Average waiting time from referral to assessment for opioid substitution treatment

Average waiting time from opioid substitution assessment to exit from waiting list or treatment commenced

Needle Exchange

No. of unique individuals attending pharmacy needle exchange

Substance Misuse

No. and % of substance misusers (over 18 years) for whom treatment has commenced within one calendar month following assessment

No. and % of substance misusers (under 18 years) for whom treatment has commenced within one week following assessment

PDF P.42

Alcohol Programme

– Know the Score: Substance Use Resource Materials for Senior Cycle SPHE was developed as an evidencebased resource for teachers of students aged 15 to 18 years. It is designed to engage young people in exploring and considering a wide range of topics related to the risks associated with drugs and alcohol.

– People were encouraged to look at their relationship with alcohol by taking the self-assessment test on askaboutalcohol.ie during awareness week on alcohol related harm. The self-assessment tool is designed to help people understand more about the impact their drinking is having on their lives. A total of 14,000 people used the tool between April 2017 and December 2019. 

Tobacco Free Ireland p 43

– Seven out of 10 smokers want to quit and four out of 10 make an attempt to quit every year. Behavioural support is proven to double a smoker’s chance of quitting successfully and is a cost effective intervention. The percentage of smokers who used HSE QUIT services and who are not smoking at four week follow-up exceeded the national target of 45%.

 – Implementation of the national tobacco free campus policy progressed across all CHO and Hospital Group sites. A new bursary award was launched for hospital and community services in recognition of improved Tobacco Free Campus Policy implementation