In order to reduce the incidence of blood-borne viruses among homeless intravenous drug users, HOP offers a backpacking needle exchange service on all streetwork shifts. As well as new injecting apparatus, HOP is the only service in Edinburgh to issue clients with stericups – effectively single-use spoons with filters – ampoules of sterile water, and sachets of citric acid and Vitamin C. This ensures that all components of the injecting process are sterile, as safe as possible, and for single use only. The service is a partnership project the Needle Exchange Outreach Network (NEON), part of NHS Lothian’s Harm Reduction Team, who join us for two streetwork sessions each week.

As part of HOP’s overall harm-reduction and health promotion to drug-using clients, workers are trained to give advice on injecting techniques, and on treatment for infected injection sites. We also run two weekly outreach Harm Reduction clinics, at Dunedin Harbour Hostel and the Cowgate Day Centre, and deliver training on combating blood-borne viruses to other agencies and professionals working with intravenous drug users. All these services are co-ordinated by HOP’s specialist needle exchange worker, who also arranges safe collection, disposal and replacement of used sharps containers, a facility now established in most homeless hostels throughout Edinburgh.

 

 

Harm Reduction Services

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

All of HOP’s Harm Reduction services are coordinated by our Needle Exchange Outreach Worker. We believe that Harm Reduction is a fundamental part of our work. We aim to help clients to identify the very harmful effects of their drug and alcohol use and to realise the benefits of reducing their use. We help clients to use drugs and alcohol in a safer way and to explore alternatives to substance misuse. We currently provide two Harm Reduction Clinics each week. One is at Dunedin Harbour homeless hostel and the other is at the Cowgate Centre. This gives us an opportunity to meet clients on a one-to-one basis, providing essential advice and information. These clinics also provide a full needle exchange service along with advice around Blood-Borne Virus testing and prevention. We also distribute free condoms and sexual health advice. HOP provides a mobile needle exchange service to homeless people 7 days a week. This service is provided in conjunction with the street outreach team, with injecting paraphernalia being distributed from backpacks. We provide a full range of single-use, sterile materials for the injecting drug-user. HOP was the first organisation in Scotland to do this. We also provide sterile water and stericups, greatly reducing the need for heroin users to share injecting equipment. This innovative service is now well-established. Other agencies such as the Harm Reduction Team have followed our lead and they are now providing these items from their central needle exchange service. We have a good working relationship with the Harm Reduction Team. They currently join us for street outreach shifts twice a week, enabling our most chaotic homeless clients to access their methadone programme. Most of Edinburgh’s homeless agencies have problems with discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia. HOP now provides sharps bins for most of these agencies. We deliver the bins, uplift them when they are full and arrange for them to be incinerated. We are currently uplifting over 3000 used needles each month, greatly reducing the number of needles that are disposed of inappropriately. We train the staff in all of these agencies in how to manage needle stick injuries and we are able to advise organisations during the development of their own needle stick injury policies.