Women spoke up about alcohol support – here's what's changing in North Yorkshire

Nearly 300 women shared their experiences with us, telling us about alcohol, the pressures they face, the barriers to getting support and what they believe needs to change.

We took what women told us directly to the organisations responsible for planning, funding and providing services across North Yorkshire and made recommendations for change.

Since publishing the report, organisations have started using the findings to inform future policies, services and support. Women's experiences are already shaping conversations, influencing decision-making and helping organisations think differently about alcohol-related support.

One of the most significant developments so far has been the creation of a shared action plan framework.

The framework helps organisations understand what they can do, who is responsible and how progress will be measured.

We are working with the organisations that plan, fund and provide health and care services to turn what women told us into practical improvements. This includes general practices, hospitals, public health teams, alcohol support services, community organisations and National Health Service leaders.

The framework is based around the four priorities women identified through our research:

• Helping women recognise alcohol-related harm earlier.
• Addressing the reasons why women drink.
• Improving awareness of alcohol's health impacts.
• Making it easier to access support.

Each organisation will be able to record the actions it plans to take, who is responsible and when they aim to deliver them. This will help us monitor progress and continue sharing updates about the difference women's experiences are making.

We have shared what women told us with the people who plan, fund and provide health and care services across North Yorkshire.

The report has already been presented to North Yorkshire Council's Scrutiny of Health Committee. Following the presentation, the committee agreed to write to the Director of Public Health to ask how the report's recommendations will be taken forward.

This means the experiences women shared are now part of ongoing conversations about alcohol-related harm and support in North Yorkshire.

This regional plan aims to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy food. It sets out practical actions that health organisations, councils and other partners can take to improve people's health and reduce health inequalities across the region.

We have been told the report will help organisations improve conversations about alcohol, offer better brief advice and make support easier to access.

These priorities closely reflect what women told us through our research, helping ensure their experiences contribute to future improvements in alcohol support across Humber and North Yorkshire.

Many women told us they wanted healthcare professionals to have open, supportive conversations about alcohol without judgement.

GP practice leaders are now looking at how practices can have better conversations with women about alcohol and offer support earlier.

Hospital leaders will also consider what women told us and agree what action they can take. York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's Patient Experience Subcommittee will review the report and agree actions in response to the experiences women shared.

Thank you to every woman who trusted us with her story and to all the care and support organisations for helping with the report.

Talking about alcohol is not always easy, but by sharing your experiences you have helped ensure the people planning and providing services better understand what life is really like for many women.

Your experiences have not simply been heard. They are already influencing conversations, shaping decisions and helping organisations think about what needs to change next.