Alcohol Deaths Review Guidance

Alcohol Focus Scotland has developed comprehensive guidance to support teams undertaking alcohol death reviews. This guidance is intended for use by Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and NHS Public Health teams concerned with alcohol deaths prevention, serving as a reference manual for teams at any stage of planning alcohol death reviews, from initial consideration through to publication.

The guidance draws on best practice from those who have previously completed Alcohol Death Reviews. It is kept under review and continues to be updated as more areas undertake death reviews, with stakeholders from ADPs across Scotland sharing what worked well, what could be learned, and what they would do differently if repeating their reviews. We seek and gather supportive tools and resources from areas, where these can be accessed and adapted by other localities.

The guidance sections mirror the practical concerns and thinking required at all stages of review. Recognising that local teams have varying priorities, interests, and resources, the guidance provides a general overview of how alcohol death reviews can be carried out while leaving space for ADPs and NHS Public Health teams to develop their own approaches as appropriate to their circumstances.

The guidance forms one element of AFS’s comprehensive support for teams concerned with alcohol deaths prevention. Teams can access the most recent guidance through Alcohol Focus Scotland’s resources and receive ongoing project support from the AFS team as reviews are planned and undertaken.

Click the icons below to view each section.