Supporting primary care teams to confidently identify people at risk of alcohol-related harm and provide timely advice and support. In line with national guidance and best practice, the toolkit promotes a consistent and effective approach to alcohol care.
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an approach to behaviour change that uses everyday conversations to support improvements in health and wellbeing. These conversations are brief, opportunistic moments that can help someone take a small step from where they are now towards where they would like to be.
Alcohol is not always an issue in isolation and is often part of a wider picture and for many people, alcohol use is linked to other factors. A MECC conversation provides an opportunity to explore these wider influences in a supportive and non-judgemental way, recognising that even small changes can make a meaningful difference.
If alcohol comes up in conversation with a patient or colleague, the MECC Gateway can help guide a brief intervention and support appropriate signposting. Alongside alcohol-specific resources, the gateway also provides information on a wide range of local and national services that may support an individual’s wider needs: https://www.meccgateway.co.uk/nenc/services/Alcohol
To find out more about MECC in the North East and North Cumbria please visit www.meccgateway.co.uk or contact [email protected]
You can watch our short film below:
Recovery Connections offer recovery support groups for people living in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, Redcar, Hartlepool, Gateshead and Sunderland.
Attendence is free, you dont need a diagnosis or referral.
To get in touch, call 01642 351976, email [email protected] or fill in this form: Contact Us - Recovery Connections
This video highlights the growing impact of alcohol-related harm - particularly in the North East - where deaths and hospital admissions are rising and disproportionately affect more deprived communities, despite similar levels of consumption. It explores how alcohol contributes to a wide range of physical and mental health conditions, while awareness of these risks remains low among the public.
The video also emphasises the crucial role of primary care, where simple, non-judgemental Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) conversations can be a highly effective, evidence-based way to help people reduce their drinking and improve health outcomes, yet are currently underused.
Watch it here: Introduction to alcohol in primary care
The Programme for Alcohol Studies is now available on the Boost Learning Academy, serving as a key resource for training and development on the prevention and management of alcohol related harm. The learning academy offers a wide range of learning opportunities, all designed to support our commitment to delivering the highest standards of care to the population we serve.
To help you identify the modules most relevant to your role, we have developed a Learning Recommendations Tool (https://boost.org.uk/download/182/alcohol-studies/11858/alcohol-matrix.pdf).
Set out priority areas for quality improvement. They highlight areas with identified variation in current practice.
Measure outcomes that reflect the quality of care, or processes linked by evidence to improved outcomes.
