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Bristol Shared Care

Checked: 23-02-2024 by Vicky Ryan Next Review: 23-02-2026

Service Overview

Bristol ROADS (Recovery Orientated Alcohol &Drugs Service) provides free and confidential advice, support and treatment for adults with problematic alcohol and drug use.

ROADS is a partnership between BDP (Bristol Drugs Project), DHI (Developing Health & Independence) and AWP (Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust).

The Shared Care treatment service is a partnership between GPs, who prescribe substitute medication and other clinical services such as blood borne virus testing and treatment, pharmacists providing supervised consumption of controlled medication, OST assessment workers from DHI’s Community Recovery Service and Shared Care Workers from BDP who provide holistic support through regular appointments to enable individuals to make positive changes.

The Shared Care service can now also support patients with mild to moderate alcohol dependence to detox within primary care.

The GP and Pharmacy element of the service is subject to Public Health Service agreements which are managed through Bristol City Council’s Substance Misuse Team.

Referrals

****New Referral Process from February 2024****

To make a referral to BDP please complete the online referral form which can be accessed below:

https://www.bdp.org.uk/gp-referral/

Referrers will be able to offer the patient an assessment appointment before they leave the consultation. Alternatively this can be delegated to practice admin teams. Please note that old referral forms will no longer be accepted.*

Urine drug screen - BDP will now be able to dip test Urine Drug Screens at assessment so these are no longer needed with a referral.

Blood borne virus testing and immunisation for hepatitis B should be arranged.

*This change is part of a wider Transformation Programme undertaken by Public Health and aims to address the high drop rate from GP referral to entering ROADS. The aim is to make is to create less barriers for the patient to access the service. This change was made in consultation with GPs at the GP Best Practice Meetings. Feedback will be collected and a review of the new system will be undertaken.

Referral Contact.

Shared Care enquiries (BDP): Tel: 0117 987 6018 (all contact) or 6017 (Professional only number)

info@bdp.org.uk

Referral Guidance & Criteria

Eligibility Criteria:

Aged 18 and over
Patients whose main presenting problem is opiate use.

Patients with mild to moderate alcohol dependence able to be detoxed in 4-6 weeks within Primary Care.

Shared Care Drug Dependence – Operational Guidance and Operational Guidance Pathway

Bristol PCT - Benzodiazepine Guidelines

SMMGP - Benzodiazepine Guidance

Naltrexone Prescribing - Primary Care Policy

Contacts

BDP – ROADS Director of Operations

Lydia Plant

Tel: 0117 987 6019

Lydia.plant@bdp.org.uk

Substance Misuse Commissioning Lead

Thara Raj

Tel: 07825 827053

Thara.Raj@bristol.gov.uk

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

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