1.2 Addiction and Infectious Diseases Services p.52

In 2022, 65 women were referred to the drug liaison midwife (DLM) with a history of drug use.

There continues to be a decrease in the number of women prescribed opioid substitute treatment presenting to The Coombe Hospital but within this cohort there is an aging population who are presenting with more complex needs. Cocaine use has taken over from heroin use as the primary drug of choice, particularly smoking crack. As we are reliant on women self-reporting their drug use, it is likely that illicit drug use in pregnancy particularly cocaine and cannabis may even be higher than reported.

Homelessness remains a concern. In 2022, 26.9% of women attending the Addiction Service identified as homeless. This is a crisis and detrimental to both the women and their families.