Coronavirus: information for professionals

Here we have pulled together a collection of links to important official information and advice to help keep you up-to-date on services and provisions during the coronavirus outbreak. We will update this regularly.

As this is a rapidly changing situation, the advice set out on these websites can change so please do check them regularly for updates.

For health advice on the coronavirus

  • You can find the most up-to-date official advice on coronavirus (COVID-19) from the NHS website here.

For healthcare and treatment professionals

From the NHS and Government

  • The NHS has published a clinical guide for the management of people with alcohol dependence during the coronavirus pandemic. Find it here.
  • The Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England have published guidance for commissioners and providers of drug and alcohol services here. It was last updated on 31 March 2021.
  • The Government website has a collection of guidance notes on the COVID-19 outbreak for health professionals and other organisations here. For a comprehensive list of guidance notes from the Government on COVID-19 see the directory here.
  • The Welsh Government has published a collection of guidance and services for health and other professionals here.
  • The Welsh Government has published guidance for substance misuses services here.

Other resources

  • Collective Voice has published resources and information for treatment providers and services which are available here.
  • Dr Emmert Roberts and Dr Michael Kelleher have published draft guidance on the management alcohol withdrawal in temporary homeless hotels here.
  • Humankind has published information about the availability of their services during the outbreak here.
  • Change Grow Live has published an update on its services here.
  • Drink and Drug News has published an interesting article on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on treatment services and their ability to support client groups in their article on 'Unchartered waters'.
  • Drink and Drug News has also published responses from service providers about the ways in which they're supporting their service users during the crisis, together with a list of online support services, and other news and information for healthcare professionals here.

Supporting couples and families

  • This briefing, produced by Dr Sarah Fox and Prof. Sarah Galvani in collaboration with Adfam and Alcohol Change UK, offers some considerations relating to alcohol and domestic violence during the restrictions placed on households as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.