An introduction to England’s alcohol treatment system
Dr Will Haydock – Collective Voice
In our latest podcast Dr Will Haydock, Executive Director of Collective Voice, sheds light on alcohol treatment services in England. Representing an alliance of charities supporting people with alcohol and other drug issues, Haydock emphasises that free treatment is available in every local area – yet awareness remains low. He discusses barriers like stigma and the misperception that support is costly or inaccessible. Haydock calls for a whole-system approach, integrating alcohol treatment into broader health and social care. He also discusses how the Health and Care Act 2012 and the 2021 Drug Strategy changed the treatment system. “There can be almost more shame around having developed a problem with alcohol than with other drugs.”