what we can learn from wales, rhian hills

The Welsh Perspective

Dr Rhian Hills

Objectives

• Number of fatal poisonings

• Background to take home naloxone

• Barriers and Challenges

• What has been achieved

• Where do we go from here

Background

• Strategy 2008

• February 2009 – National Group

• June 2009 – Demonstration sites

• March 2011 – Evaluation

• November 2011 – National Roll Out complete

• March 2012 – National Database launched

Fatal Poisonings in Wales

I am too positive to be doubtful, too optimistic to be fearful, and too determined to be defeated

Hussein Nishah

• Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it.” ― Robert A. Heinlein,

• If you expect life to be easy, challenges will seem difficult. If you accept that challenges may occur, life will be easier.” ― Rob Liano

Service user views

• I think it’s the most wonderful thing in the whole world .. because people are going to do this thing… The benefits of the scheme are that lives can be saved, every day of the week, by not medical people, by people who are stood there when it’s happening.

• I’ve got to be honest, I’ve got nothing bad to say about it, it’s only good things ... it’s saving people’s lives, isn’t it, at the end of the day, it’s helping somebody, and if somebody can do that, all the better ... it’s just handy to have there in case something does happen to somebody, because it does happen to people, people do overdose in front of people.

• I think everyone should carry one, every heroin user should carry one.

Staff views

• the strengths have to be in the dedication of the staff that we’ve got delivering it, and the motivation to do that …

• it’s been really critical to kind of like raise the awareness of it amongst other professionals as well including those in the substance misuse field who I think sometimes have, you know, well I just don’t necessarily feel that it’s a priority for their work really

What has been achieved

Demographics

Risk Behaviour

Naloxone use 2013-14

Other Developments

• Paramedic Feasibility Project

• A&E Distribution

• Police Custody Suite

Where do we go from here?

Rhian.Hills@wales.gsi.gov.uk