ACTION publications and resources

The ACTION team have developed and reviewed standards and best practice alongside the ACTION steering group and members. The Second Edition of the Standards for Alcohol Care Teams can be found here (PDF).  

For further details regarding the development and implementation of alcohol care teams, ACTION recommends two key documents:

• Alcohol Care Team: Core Service Description (NHS E&I, 2019) (PDF)
• Clinical Competences for the Care of Hospitalized Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders (Phillips, Porter, Sinclair, 2020).

Between November 2024 and January 2025, ACTION (Royal College of Psychiatrists) conducted a funding survey across 43 Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs).

The results revealed widespread uncertainty around future funding, with 67% of teams reporting no guarantee of funding beyond April 2025. This instability has significantly impacted clinical capacity, reduced support for hospitals and trusts, and made it more difficult to recruit and retain specialist staff. 58% of ACTs also reported funding cuts in 2024, despite a concerning rise in alcohol-specific mortality rates.

ACTION have published a poster (PDF) illustrating the survey findings.