On Friday 5th June 2026 partners from across Cheshire and Merseyside came together for the 10th Programme for Alcohol Care and Treatment Network (PROACT) event.
The PROACT network was first launched by the Champs Public Health Collaborative in April 2022 and since then has grown into a system wide network dedicated to reducing alcohol-related harm, improving patient outcomes, and strengthening the alcohol care workforce across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Over the past four years the network has evolved by bringing together acute hospitals, community services, public health professionals and research staff, welcoming almost 500 attendees across the 10 events. These events have created a platform for shared learning, innovation and co-production supporting the development of several groups and enabling collaborative working. The groups include:
- Alcohol Care Team Involvement and Engagement (ACTIVE) patient and public involvement group
- Senior Nurse Advisory Panel (SNAP)
- Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Working Group
The network has also received recognition both regionally and nationally and has been shortlisted for several awards, including the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) Health and Wellbeing Awards, the North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards and the Nursing Times Awards and has been invited to present at the Royal College of Nursing Education Forum National Conference and the National Alcohol Harms Conference, showcasing the innovative approach to alcohol care and prevention.
Most recently, the network celebrated the publication of the ACTIVE group’s co-produced case study in Frontiers in Public Health, highlighting the value of meaningful patient involvement in service development and innovation.
Speaking at the event Debbie Watson, Director of Public Health Warrington, and Lead Director of Public Health for alcohol harm said:
“As a system, we remain absolutely committed to reducing alcohol-related harm. This is not a short-term priority, it’s a long-term, shared ambition. And PROACT has become a cornerstone of that commitment, helping us turn strategy into real, practical improvements for patients and communities.”
“…PROACT is a great example of what we can achieve when we collaborate effectively. You’ve built shared tools, strengthened pathways, reduced variation, and created a genuine community of practice across organisations. That’s something to be really proud of—and something we can learn from in other areas of public health.”