'Special units for common problems': the birth of alcohol treatment units in England

In 1962 the Ministry of Health issued a memorandum entitled The Hospital Treatment of Alcoholism. The memorandum was the first official statement specifically regarding the treatment of alcoholism within the National Health Service. It marked the end of an era characterized by Ministry of Health rejection of the need to review policies regarding alcohol consumption and alcoholism treatment and the entry of the Ministry into the emerging alcohol arena. This paper uses documentary sources and interview material to examine the events leading up to the memorandum and its recommendation to Regional Health Authorities to establish specialist alcoholism treatment units. The development of such units was not supported by everyone in the alcohol field at that time and the paper discusses the pressures on Department of Health officials which appear to have influenced policy choices. The fact that pressures come from different sources, some advocating different policy options, raises the question: did medical perspectives and evidence for the specialist treatment approach influence policy or did policy makers select the option best fitted to existing Departmental interests?