The Role of the GP in effective care and recovery

Dr Linda Harris

Clinical Director

RCGP Substance Misuse and Associated Health Unit

6th June 2011

The question posed……

• What are recovery-orientated drug and alcohol treatment interventions and what are the competences required to deliver them?

The Challenge

• GPs and primary healthcare team must be involved in drug treatment system transformation

• Safe and effective OST prescribing remains a crucial part of the journey – but only a part – generalists, shared care GPs and GPwSIs must not be isolated – missed opportunity

• Can and should provide critical leadership and governance – detoxification pathways, proactive case management, clustering, clinical audit, CQC

The Challenge (2)

• Quality vs. volume – role of prescribers in proactive case management

• Safety vs. freedoms and flexibilities to build “recovery capital”

• Generalists/shared care/GPwSIs – interrelationships

• What are we learning from drug related death reviews – LTCs, aging population. health inequity

+ GPs are now commissioners

• Discuss…….!

The SMU – past and present

• Training GPs and primary healthcare professionals in the delivery of “effective care” as articulated in national policy and “Clinical Guidelines” (2000 – present day)

• Widely accepted as THE accredited programme supporting primary care skills escalator in substance misuse

• RCGP Certificate in Drug Dependency Part 1 - Numbers completed:12551 since 2003

• RCGP Certificate in Drug Dependency Part 2- Numbers completed: 924

• RCGP Certificate in Alcohol- Numbers completed: 1196 since Sept 2009

Our training

• Certificate programmes in the management of drugs misuse (basic and advanced level ), harm reduction, health and well being, alcohol problems in primary care, sexual health and the management of Hep B and C

Involving:

Cert 1, 2, Secure environment and

alcohol leads,Regional and

academic leads

Substance Misuse

Management and co

morbidities

Public Health, Harm

Reduction and well

being

Involving Sexual health, harm reduction and Hep B and C + new projects underwaye.g. gambling

RCGP SMAHU – the future

Mission……promotes the well being and recovery of individuals by improving the knowledge and competence of GPs and other healthcare professionals who deliver treatment for substance misuse, sexual health and associated healthcare within their communities. We want to help meeting the needs of vulnerable people and reduce health inequality.

We do this through education and training which is evidence based, quality assured and outcome focussed.

• Review and refresh of ALL our educational programmes is currently taking place.– Review will include outputs from Recovery Oriented Treatment sub

group; training to remain concordant with published guidelines

• Move to align with wider relationship with Public Health and RCGP strategic priorities – inclusion, diversity

Stakeholder Advisory Group

( meets annually)

SMAHU Executive

Quality Assurance and Evaluation

Annual Clinical Review

AGM in DecemberRevised ToR

Annual Report Opportunity to influence

Clinical Director; Executive members

Clinical leads, Project manager

Head of Professional Programmes

SMAHU – Governance

RCGPProfessional Development

Board