People in Keighley with alcohol problems are being failed by their GPs, according to a new report.

The report says that primary care health workers in Keighley are not providing adequate assessment and advice for people with alcohol problems.

Family doctors in Keighley are also falling below the standards set by colleagues in neighbouring Bradford.

But one of the authors, Jane Britton, alcohol misuse prevention worker with the Airedale Community Alcohol and Drug Team, in Henry Street, Keighley, stressed: "The whole purpose of the report was not to criticise, but to identify where we are now and where we would like to be."

The report has been compiled by Jane and Annie Bhogal, service manager with support group Project 6.

They sent out questionnaires to primary health care staff in Keighley and Bradford and published their findings in Alcohol Concern's national research bulletin Acquire.

It also follows hot on the heels of a report by the Rowntree Foundation, which raised concerns about levels of teenage drinking across the nation.

The duo's report concludes that although GPs in Keighley have a positive attitude towards patients with alcohol problems, these attitudes are not put into practice, with few GPs providing advice or referring patients to health education literature or alcohol services.

Nurses also tend to be reluctant to talk to patients about their alcohol use due to anxieties about having the adequate skill levels and information to deal with patients.

Jane explained: "The aim was to look at how primary care staff work with problematic alcohol users. This work also highlights issues raised in the Rowntree report.

"There is a great deal of fear around the use of illicit drugs and we often forget that alcohol is extremely dangerous, with 1,500 young people admitted to the hospital each year with alcohol poisoning.

"Overall the research has demonstrated some areas of good practice and some areas that need development.

"Primary care has a role to play in health promotion and prevention in regard to alcohol use, and it is hoped that this research will have practical applications in improving the service that primary care staff in Keighley and Bradford can provide."

She added: "Airedale Primary Care Trust and other PCTs in Bradford have used this report to improve their treatment of patients with alcohol.

"The other thing that primary health care staff say is that until alcohol is made a priority, along with cancer and coronary heart disease, the problem won't be tackled."

The report has made a number of recommendations, including the provision of a clear training programme about alcohol awareness, which can then be passed on to patients.

Guidelines for working with alcohol users and the prescription of drugs should also be introduced.

As the Keighley News went to press we were awaiting a statement from the Airedale PCT.

Findings in Brief

The report states that GP practices in Bradford are better informed about safe alcohol limits and are more likely to ask questions when assessing a patient's alcohol use than those in Keighley.

All staff in Bradford ask how often a patient has an alcoholic drink, compared to 75 per cent in Keighley.

Only 43 per cent of staff in Keighley asked patients how they felt about their drinking, compared to 62 per cent in Bradford.

Staff in Bradford are more likely to look for links between alcohol consumption and other conditions, with 100 per cent in Bradford and 75 per cent in Keighley asking patients with depression about their alcohol consumption.

The figures also indicate that staff in Bradford are more motivated to hand out advice, with 77 per cent in Bradford suggesting patients have alcohol free days compared to 58 per cent in Keighley.

Only 11 to 15 per cent of staff in both areas have received training on identifying and reducing alcohol use, although 53 per cent in Keighley said they would like more training.

Few GPs provide drugs for detoxification, with the most commonly prescribed, Librium, prescribed by 34 per cent of respondents in Keighley compared to 54 per cent in Bradford.