Needle Exchange opening hours.

Opening Times 9-5 Monday to Fridays Accrington and Burnley

Late Night opening:

Accrington: Thursdays 5pm-8pm

Burnley: Wednesdays 5pm-8pm

Meet Lyndsey – Our new Harm Reduction Recovery Coordinator. Lyndsey has been working hard to have the doors open at Accrington and Burnley over the past few weeks and hopes to get a group of volunteers to have the NEX manned all of the time across both sites. If this could be you ask Lyndsey for more information or email her on Lyndsey.Allen@cgl.org.uk

 

New Provision

More choice and different colours!

If you have used the NEX in the past few weeks you will have noticed some changes to the stock that we carry. Following on from feedback, we have new provision giving more choice to you. Some of you may have noticed that there is a lot of colour going on! Variety is the spice of life and also to keep people safe – having your own coloured equipment to prevent sharing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A focus on the 2ml Solo Syringe –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Popular amongst steroid users, they come in a variety of colours to avoid sharing. The end is a lock attachment making it easy to swap over from the Long Green Needle to your choice of preferred Blue Needle. The 2ml Solo syringes are designed with an integrated single use snap-off plunger, rendering the syringe permanently disabled after use preventing accidental sharing. The Safety Snap snap-off plunger with its clean and audible break, is activated once the syringe has been used to discourage sharing. We have received great feedback already.

Be aware of signage in the NEX – they are not compatible with all Needles so ask for advice.

 

 

Returns

Don’t forget to return your used provision to NEX. We have a range of sizes in sharps bins from the 0.35 litre up to 7 litres. Some feedback suggests that some people are only disposing of the Needles in the sharps bin – Please put everything in, wrapping, alcohol wipes and the full barrel and Needle.

 

Harm Reduction

The sharing of injecting equipment is both the biggest risk factor for blood-borne virus transmission among drug injectors, and the focus of harm reduction interventions reducing the risk of accidental sharing.

One of the most common viruses spread amongst injecting drug users is Hepatitis C, with 90% of new infections contracted through poor injecting practice. We can offer support information and advice to reduce these harms.   Don’t forget to ask about Testing and Treatment.

We are also taking part in a Public health England survey – UAM Survey of PWID. Unlinked anonymous HIV and viral hepatitis monitoring among People Who Inject Drugs. – See the poster campaign in your local NEX – it is anonymous testing with no results to provide information to a survey, in return you will get £4 retail vouchers.

 

NEWS UPDATES

 

An important milestone is that the World Health Organization (WHO) target to reduce Hepatitis C related mortality by 10% by 2020 has already been exceeded in England – 3 years ahead of time. However, if we are to keep pace with the planned treatment rates and meet our future targets to eradicate Hep C, there is a need to ramp up harm reduction, testing and treatment.

In England and Wales, levels of infection are higher among survey participants who inject image or performance enhancing drugs (IPED), such as anabolic steroids, 5.1% of whom tested positive for antibodies to Hep C during 2014-15. Updated prevalence data from the 2016-18 IPED survey will be available in the coming months and published in the “HCV in England 2020 report”.

World Hepatitis Day, held on 28 July each year, continues to provide a focus for raising awareness of Hep C. Ask about testing when you are accessing NEX.

 

A needle-exchange programme (NEX) is a social policy based on the philosophy of harm reduction where injecting drug users can obtain injecting equipment. The aims of Inspires needle exchanges are to reduce the damage associated with using unsterile or contaminated injecting equipment, to prevent the spread of blood borne viruses (HIV, Hepatitis B & C).

The promotion of safer injecting practice forms a cornerstone of needle and syringe provision but also of other community interventions.

Inspire needle exchanges work in raising the topic of safer injecting and providing appropriate understandable information and advice to clients. Inspire supports pharmacies in providing this provision across East Lancashire.

 

What we provide:

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• Various sized needles and syringes
• Foil
• Sterile water
• Pans
• Filters
• Sharps bins and used needle collection

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• Blood borne virus testing
• Steroid advice
• Injecting site and wound care
• Naloxone training
• Condoms and sexual health advice

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