The drugs and harm reduction team currently has two workers dedicated to the prevention of harm caused from the use of drugs, these workers are;

Colin Tyrie. Senior Public Health Development Advisor
Tel: 0161 882 2300
Mobile: 07870906771
Colin.tyrie@manchester.nhs.uk
Colin has a strategic role across Manchester to support the development of services in the reduction on drug related harm, including drug related infections such as HIV, hepatitis A, B and C. He is chair of the Greater Manchester Blood Borne Virus Prevention Network and works closely with Manchester Drug and Alcohol Strategy Team (DAST) and Greater Manchester Health Protection Unit (GMHPU).

Mark Edwards. Needle Exchange Project
Ancoats Needle Exchange
Ancoats Community Centre
6, Piercy Street (off Carruthers Street)
Manchester
M4 6FB
Tel: 0161 203 4337
Mark works directly with service users in the provision of sterile injecting paraphernalia and harm reduction advice in accordance with National Guidance on Needle Exchange Services. The Ancoats clinic provides weekend and evening services for drug users and acts as a point of referral into treatment and other health services. This needle exchange is a long established part of Manchester’s drug services and Mark has won a health award for the innovative work undertaken at the service and for excellence in this field.

2008 will see the team expand with the development of a peripatetic service supporting generic health workers and drug workers in delivering health care provision for drug users, in particular, to improve pathways through to treatment for blood-borne viruses and vaccination to protect against hepatitis B and tetanus.

The role of the PCT

There is a growing body of evidence to demonstrate that improved access to treatment and harm reduction services is necessary to improve the health of drug users and reduce the consequences of drug use to the community they live in. Key documents to support this evidence are:

• The Taskforce Review (Department of Health, 1996)
• The National Treatment Outcome Research Study (1995 – 2000)
• Treating Drug Misuse Problems: Evidence of Effectiveness (NTA 2006)

Drug use impacts directly and indirectly on health in a number of ways, these include:

• Increasing rates of blood borne viruses and increased infection rates from transmission via sharing of drug using equipment (‘Shooting Up’ 2007)
• Drug related deaths. Drug users have an increased risk of premature death as a direct result of their drug use (HIV and hepatitis related deaths are excluded). The National Treatment Agency (NTA) provides national guidance on reducing drug related deaths as part of the Harm Reduction Strategy 2008/9. Recommendations include partnership work with a multi-agency action plan. Key document – ‘Drug-related deaths in the city of Manchester, 1999 – 2005’ (Ghodse, H et al).
• Drug associated crime. The cost of funding drug dependency can result in individual drug users becoming involved in acquisitive crime (shoplifting, burglary etc.) this has a negative consequence for the community and the individual who may be taken into the prison system and require health care and drug treatment within this system.
• Drug users have a disproportionably increased risk of mental health problems, often termed ‘dual-diagnosis’ or ‘co-morbidity’. Drugs can be a contributory element to the mental health problem or a means to ‘self-manage’ the symptoms.

The PCT is currently working closely with Manchester Drug and Alcohol Strategy Team to implement ‘Models of care for adult drug misusers’ (updated 2006) a guidance document from the NTA for commissioning and provision of treatment for adult drug misusers.