June 2015 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 13
‘What doesn’t work is giving them an appointment and telling them to come
back,’ he adds. ‘With some of our clients, you really need to do everything you
can with them while you’ve got them.’
GET PAPERWORK IN PLACE
The first stage is to get together a prescribing protocol, like PGD or PSD, says
Bonnet. ‘That’s easy, just a couple of signatures on a document, really.’
GET KITS IN PLACE
Then you need to buy naloxone kits and distribute them – ‘all you need is
money to buy the kits, so you need to get the commissioner on your side,’
says Bonnet.
‘I remember our previous commissioner, around three years ago, saying he
had bought 250 kits to start with. He just told us to get on with it, to go and
save lives. The funding keeps coming through to this day. As a result,
Birmingham is the leader for naloxone distribution in England. Around 2,500
kits have now gone out. We are now in a position whereby there is real
consensus amongst expert organisations, including the Advisory Council on the
Misuse of Drugs and the World Health Organization, that this is a medication
that should be made more widely available. I hope we see that come to fruition
over the coming year.’
CRI, the charity behind the delivery of Reach Out Recovery, actively
supported the Naloxone Action Group’s campaign to widen provision of
naloxone in England by asking services and stakeholders to write to their MPs to
sign a motion which would prioritise its roll-out across the whole of the UK.
SHOW THE ECONOMICS
‘Our top priority is to save lives, in any way we can,’ says Bonnet. ‘However, it’s
important to note that an overdose death costs thousands. Therefore, spending
£18 on a kit which has the capability to save a life, as well as precious NHS
resources – not to mention the trauma caused to the victim’s loved ones –
seems to me like the obvious choice. It’s not rocket science.’
Do you have a naloxone strategy in your area? Let us know your experiences –
good or bad – by emailing
BACK TO LIFE
John’s experience is typical of the naloxone reversals each week in Birmingham.
Philippe Bonnet shares his story.
‘John had scored two £10 bags, one for him, one for his girlfriend. He was
aware that his girlfriend had diazepam and pregabalin in her system.
They cooked up the gear and within minutes of withdrawing the needle she
collapsed in her chair and her head went back. John got up and shouted “babe
are you ok,” shaking her shoulders. Her lips went blue straight away.
He panicked, grabbed her, and put her on the floor. He grabbed the phone
and called the ambulance, shouting ‘hurry up, hurry up’. He got his naloxone
and gave her a dose. Nothing happened.
He gave her a second dose; nothing happened. He gave her a third dose;
nothing happened. At this stage I asked him how long he had waited between
doses. He said “I don’t remember. She was dying in front of me.”
Then he gave her the last two doses in one, emptying the plunger. The
ambulance arrived as she was coming round. He told the ambulance that he
had had to give her five doses. As they took her into the ambulance, a member
of the crew said, “If it wasn’t for your actions she’d be dead now.”
That happened at about 9am. At 3pm John came back to our service to get
another kit. He was shaking, saying “Oh my God, I nearly lost my girl.’ She had
been discharged from hospital. She was OK.”’
DDN
Read the full stories and more, online
THE RECOVERY STREET FILM FESTIVAL
was founded as a way of helping the
general public understand more about
recovery from substance misuse, by
giving those who have lived through it
a platform to tell their story. In 2014 it
reached people in London, Liverpool,
Glasgow, Cardiff and Birmingham, and
it was clear from speaking to those
who took part that telling their story
had helped their recovery.
Research illustrates the benefits of
giving those in recovery a platform to
tell others about their experiences –
after all, creating a narrative is the
foundation of many types of group
work and key working – and it can be
a very positive step to formalise this
process.
Creative writing, visual arts and
music are all options, but
smartphones now mean that film is
very accessible – the tips at the end of
this article give an idea of how easy
this can be. We have increasingly seen
film and other media used effectively
to support those who may consider
themselves marginalised or
misrepresented, such as members of
BME and LGBT communities, and
those with mental health needs or
criminal justice issues.
Paul from London, who took part
in the Recovery Street Film Festival
last year, was clear on what the
benefits were for him:
‘Making a film was definitely
helpful to me in my recovery. Being a
bit shy in nature and not a very
talkative person, this was a great way
in which I could share some of my
experiences, and I would certainly
recommend it to others.’
Last year the film festival received
more than 70 entries. We hope that
more people get involved this year
and would encourage anyone working
with people who have, or are affected
by, substance misuse issues to enter
the competition.
Lou Boyd is operations manager for
Turning Point in south Westminster
Entry details at
Storytelling through
film can play an
important role
in recovery,
says
Lou Boyd
Simple StepS to
making a film
‘Make a film’ can be an
intimidating instruction –
but there are many ways
to tell a story easily:
You don’t need film equipment
– a smartphone will do.
A video diary can be an easy
way to start.
Familiar landscapes and
cityscapes are easy ways to
add atmosphere.
If you don’t want to be in the
film you could provide a voice-
over to a series of pictures.
Even free or basic editing soft-
ware will help you tell a story
using several different scenes.
Share your
Story
naloxone
