news and resources

This session was hosted by Mark Prest. Watch on demand as he discusses 'The Power of Visual Arts in Recovery'.

The publication of the Co-occurring mental health and substance use delivery framework  comes at a critical moment. Drug, alcohol and mental health needs are far more likely to co-occur than exist in isolation. Between 2024 and 2025, 74% of people starting drug and alcohol treatment were identified as having a mental health treatment need, and over a third of people with serious mental health needs also experience co-existing drug or alcohol conditions. Too often, people are

The NHS Addictions Providers Alliance has shared a statement in response to OHID's latest national statistics on numbers of people in treatment for drug and alcohol use . "The latest statistics on numbers of people in treatment for drug and alcohol use demonstrates some progress has been made to meet the challenge set down by Dame Carol Black in 2021 to transform the treatment and recovery system. The bottom line is that treatment is a protective factor for people who need he

Welcome to Session 1 of the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance Virtual Conference 2025.

Thank you to everyone who attended and took part in the NHS APA Virtual Conference 202 5 , 'Breaking Barriers: How stigma undermines support and connection - and what we can do about it'. All of the conference sessions are now available to watch on demand via the links below. Session 1: Keynote Mel Ball, Director for Lived Experience (MPFT), Darren Murinas, CEO at Expert Citizens and Ben Parker, Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner within the Addictions Directorate (CNWL).

The NHS APA began in 2016 as a meeting of peers in NHS organisations throughout England who were commissioned to deliver drug and/or alcohol treatment and support services in the community, in inpatient settings, or in prisons. The APA’s membership widened over time to include NHS organisations providing treatment and support for gambling harms. In 2025, we have widened our membership offer again, recognising that all NHS organisations – regardless of whether they are direct

Here’s your at-a-glance round-up of the fantastic line-up of speakers joining us at this year’s NHS APA Conference 2025. Mel Ball , Director for Lived Experience at the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust (MPFT), is our morning keynote speaker. Mel Ball started her career within therapeutic communities as a peer worker. She's gone on to work in a diverse series of services across CAMHS, adult inpatient units, and high security services. Her experience spans voluntary and co

We are proud to announce that Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, is joining the NHS Addictions Providers Alliance.    The mental health and community services Trust provides integrated treatment for ex-military personnel with co-occurring mental health, substance use and addictions support through Op COURAGE South East, The NHS Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. Op COURAGE is dedicated to supporting people who have served in the British Armed Forces, includ

We are delighted to announce that the programme for the NHS APA Conference 2025; " Breaking Barriers: How stigma undermines support and connection - and what we can do about it ", is now available for download! We're looking forward to hearing our excellent speaker lineup, including our keynote speakers Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE and Mel Ball, discuss this important topic. On the day, you can follow #APAConf25 across our social media channels, for all the highlights

Breaking Barriers: How stigma undermines support and connection - and what we can do about it On Thursday 27th November 2025, professionals from across the UK will gather online for the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance’ Annual Conference. It is a fully virtual, free event exploring how stigma continues to shape the experiences of people experiencing addiction, and what we can collectively do to dismantle it. This year’s theme, Breaking Barriers, brings together lived experien

After the success of the 2023 conference, we’re looking forward to hosting our next virtual conference on Thursday 27th of November, and ensuring it runs smoothly for all of our speakers and attendees. As with previous years' conferences, our 2025 virtual conference, ' Breaking Barriers: How stigma undermines support and connection - and what we can do about it' is FREE for all attendees and will be streamed online so that you can access it from your computer and/or mobi

Addiction and recovery often come with layers of complexity, stigma, shame, fear of judgement, and the practical barriers that make asking for help feel impossible. For Mary at Forward Leeds, those challenges were magnified by working in the very system designed to provide support.

The latest drug-related deaths statistics for England and Wales show – once again – a concerning rise in overall mortality and regional disparities in harms. A record 5,565 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in 2024—the highest annual total since records began in 1993. Mortality rates have been climbing every year since 2012.   As in previous years, opioids are responsible for a considerable and rising share of fatalities, emphasising the need for urgent targete

This World Mental Health Day, the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance (NHS APA) is calling for urgent system-wide action to address three persistent challenges faced by people experiencing co-occurring conditions, including insufficient access to integrated care. The NHS APA stresses that stigma remains the underlying barrier preventing people from accessing the joined-up, compassionate support.

Download our new Gambling Harms paper with preferred terms for language around gambling stigma.

This year’s theme for International Overdose Awareness Day is ‘One big family, driven by hope’.

Telford STaRS has been a successful and evolving partnership since 2018, but 2024 marked a significant turning point: a full commitment to gender-specific interventions for women, powered by Willowdene’s whole system approach.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer presented her Spring Budget to Parliament on Wednesday 26th March. The APA responded.

On the 5th February 2025, the Office for National Statistics released information about the Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK: registered...

The NHS APA Gambling Harms Working Group welcomes the publication of the NICE guideline on gambling-related harms.