Alcohol Assertive Outreach Treatment in Hull: Developing & Implementing High-Quality Care

Executive Summary• In Hull, a significantly higher proportion of the population is dependent on alcohol (2.38%) compared to the national average (1.39%). • It is estimated that 1 in 10 hospital inpatients experience alcohol dependence. In Hull, there is a high rate of alcohol-related hospital readmissions, with 45% of people being admitted 3 or more times in a year.• Alcohol Assertive Outreach Treatment (AAOT) is a valuable care option for people with alcohol dependence and physical co-morbidities, who are frequently admitted and who often don’t engage with traditional alcohol support.• A mixed-methods evaluation of AAOT in Hull shows evidence of reductions in alcohol consumption, improvements to quality of life, and less hospital service use.• We estimate a net saving of £7765 per service-user in hospital costs in the first year.• Qualitative research consistently found high quality AAOT was effective in supporting individuals’ recovery, through assertive advocacy and cultivating hope.•The evaluation identified that AAOT can be successfully implemented with fidelity to the high-quality model.