A delivery service for a crucial overdose recovery kit was launched in drug and alcohol services in Wakefield by leading social enterprise, Turning Point.
Naloxone is a first aid medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
In England, anyone can carry a Naloxone kit and use it in an emergency to save a life. It is available from drug treatment providers and from some pharmacies, but accessing these locations is not always possible or easy.
The Wakefield Inspiring Recovery and Inspiring Futures Click & Deliver programme will see Naloxone kits being delivered to people at a location of their choice.
After filling out a short online form and completing an optional short training session, individuals receive a free Naloxone kit sent through the post in discreet packaging.
The Wakefield service supports over 2,500 residents from across the district, delivering a wide range of treatment methods including one-to-one recovery work sessions, recovery planning, harm reduction advice, needle exchange, group work programmes, open-access drop-ins, and prescribing clinics.
Turning Point recognised that there are people with mobility issues, or who live in rural areas where there is not a service nearby, and for some, particularly family members of people at risk of overdose, there is a fear of being stigmatised.
Whilst there are highly successful postal Naloxone services in both Scotland and Wales, Turning Point launched the first service in England with a pilot scheme at its Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service (SDAS), in August 2023, followed by launches in Herefordshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire in 2024.
The scheme has proved to be highly-successful and through 2025 the service has been rolled out across all Turning Point locations.
In April 2024, the Somerset service sent out their 100th naloxone kit, which went to a family member of someone at risk of an overdose.
To date, services have sent out almost 300 kits with at least six of these kits used to reverse an overdose and save lives.
DDN magazine is a free publication self-funded through advertising.
We are proud to work in partnership with many of the leading charities and treatment providers in the sector.
This page was published by Turning Point