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New: IMS planned maintainence
Due to planned maintenance of the IMS database, this system will be unavailable for a time between 18:00 and 19:00 on Thursday 24th October 2024. We expect that IMS will only be offline for a short period, but we apologise for any inconvenience.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/10/2024 15:20:00
IMS 2024-25 Quarter 1 reports, and NSP activity reports
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2024-25 Quarter 1 are both available here: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly as well as the latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. These reports contain all activity for the first quarter of 2024/25 and the total figures for the latest 12-month rolling period (1st July 2023 - 30th June 2024). The 2023-24 Q4 reports have now been updated and re-issued to “version 2”, these reports contain the figures forming the 2023-24 end-of-year figures for each area.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 30/07/2024 15:16:43
LJMU Drug Related Deaths Conference 2024
Registration is now open for the LJMU Drug Related Deaths Conference 2024 which will take place online on Thursday 25th April (09:00-17:00). This full day online event will be split into several sessions, with presentations and Q&A sessions from a range of guest speakers. We are currently finalising our speakers and the agenda for the day. The DRD conference page includes details of the speakers we already have confirmed, as well as a link to the registration page.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 08/03/2024 13:30:00
IMS 2023-24 Quarter 3 reports, and NSP activity reports
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2023-24 Quarter 3 are both available here: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly as well as the latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. These reports contain all activity for the third quarter of 2023/24 as well as the total figures for the latest 12 month rolling period (1st January 2023 - 31st December 2023).
Posted by: Howard Reed at 21/02/2024 08:26:43
IMS Annual Report - Cheshire and Merseyside 2022-23
Our IMS Annual Report for the Cheshire and Merseyside region, 2022/23 has now been published alongside the data tables which breaks down the figures at a local authority level. • There were 5,867 individuals injecting psychoactive substances, such as heroin and crack cocaine, • and 5,441 individuals injecting steroids or other image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs), who presented to Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) across Cheshire and Merseyside in 2022/23. • These numbers represent a 15.7% decrease on the previous year for the psychoactive cohort to the lowest level of presentations since at least 2013/14, but a 13.7% increase for the IPEDs cohort, although activity has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Posted by: Mark Whitfield at 14/12/2023 08:44:52
Christmas 2023/24
The university will be closed over Christmas from Thursday 21st Dec, reopening on Wednesday 3rd Jan 2024. Our offices will be closed during this period, but for any urgent IMS queries please email PHImonitoring@ljmu.ac.uk and we’ll respond as soon as we're able. All the best for a safe Christmas and New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 04/12/2023 12:22:03
DARD area events 2023
Our thanks to everyone who attended and participated in our DARD area events for both Greater Manchester, and Cheshire & Merseyside. Presentation slides and pictures from the events are available on the DARD event page. In addition to these in-person events our next online DARD conference will be taking place in March 2024.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 04/12/2023 10:33:19
Update: IMS user sessions
We have implemented an update to improve the management of IMS user sessions. Whenever you are logged in you will see a message in the top right coroner of the screen displaying the logged in username and countdown of time remaining. A login session lasts for 2 hours, and can be extended this once using the 'Extend Session' button. After this time has elapsed you will be automatically logged out. You can restart the 2 hour session at any point simply by logging out and then logging back in to IMS. We've implemented this to make it clearer when your current login session is going to finish, and to improve the way data is saved.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 20/11/2023 18:36:12
Drug and Alcohol Related Deaths (DARD) Annual Reports 2022
Our Drug and Alcohol Related Deaths 2022 Annual Reports for both Greater Manchester, and Cheshire and Merseyside are now available on the annual reports page. These reports detail deaths as reported through the IMS DARD surveillance system, they are also accompanied by Local Area Profile reports for each local authority area. Deaths reported to the system include any individual who has died while in treatment or recently in treatment with a drug or alcohol treatment provider alongside any DARD cases identified by the coroner.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 27/10/2023 12:19:22
IMS Annual Data Tables Report 2022-23
Our IMS Annual Data Tables report with data for 2022-23 is available on our annual reports page. This report includes IMS data on the use of low threshold services such as Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) and brief interventions across Cheshire and Merseyside. The "Data Tables" report will shortly be accompanied by our Annual report with summary information and charts.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 27/10/2023 12:15:02
IMS 2023-24 Quarter 2 reports, and NSP activity reports are now available
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2023-24 Quarter 2 are both now available: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly as well as the latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. These reports contain all activity for the second quarter of 2023/24 as well as the total figures for the latest 12 month rolling period (1st October 2022 - 30th August 2023). We have also re-issued the 2022-23 Quarter 4 reports which contain the provider and activity figures for the full 2022/23 year.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 17/10/2023 10:00:00
IMS 2023-24 Quarter 1 reports, and NSP activity reports are now available
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2023-24 Quarter 1 are both now available: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly as well as the latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. These reports contain all activity for the first quarter of 2023/24 as well as the total figures for the latest 12 month rolling period (1st July 2022 - 30th June 2023).
Posted by: Howard Reed at 26/07/2023 09:28:02
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our conference
The Public Health Institute Drug Related Deaths Conference 2023 took place online on Thursday 16th March. The day was split into five sessions, with presentations and Q&A sessions from 14 great speakers. Over 700 people attended online, a big thank you to everyone to attended, presented, and contributed during the day. Links for PDF copies of presentations from the day are now available on the conference webpage, and we will share the recordings there soon. There was some great discussion and networking taking place in the chat area, so we'll be sharing some notes from this too. https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/DRDconference
Posted by: Howard Reed at 17/03/2023 12:26:49
Drug Related Deaths Conference 2023
The Public Health Institute Drug Related Deaths conference 2023 will take place on Thursday 16th March 2023 between 9am-5pm via Microsoft Teams. The conference will be an opportunity to hear about work related to preventing DRD taking place at a local, national and international level and will be opened by Dame Carol Black, author of the government’s independent review of drugs. For details about speakers, and to register to attend, please go to our DRD conference page.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 24/01/2023 09:18:49
Christmas 2022
The university will be closed over Christmas from Friday 23rd Dec, reopening on Tuesday 3rd Jan 2023. But if you have any urgent IMS queries during this period please email me h.d.reed@ljmu.ac.uk and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able. All the best for a safe Christmas and New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 20/12/2022 10:02:35
IMS Annual Report 2021-22
Our IMS Annual Report with data for 2021-22 is available on our annual reports page. This report includes IMS data on the use of low threshold services such as Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) and brief interventions across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/12/2022 10:00:26
IMS 2022-23 Quarter 1 reports, and NSP activity reports are now available
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2022-23 Quarter 1 are both now available: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly as well as the latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. These reports contain all activity for the first quarter of 2022/23 as well as the total figures for the latest 12 month rolling period (1st July 2021 - 30th June 2022).
Posted by: Howard Reed at 26/07/2022 08:52:28
2022-23 Q1 IMS Data entry - and - 2022 Q2 DRD deadlines
2022-23 Quarter 1 ends on Thursday 30th June. All client activity up to and including Thursday 30th June should be entered before the IMS quarterly deadline - Friday 8th July 2022. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. - - - And for DRD cases the (2022 Q2) deadline for entering the details onto IMS of any deaths previously not discussed which occurred prior to Thurday 30th June 2022 is Friday 15th July.Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 09/06/2022 12:00:58
IMS 2021-22 Quarter 4 reports, and NSP activity reports are now available
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2021-22 Quarter 4 are both now available: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly as well as the latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. These reports contain all activity for the fourth quarter of 2021/22 as well as the total figures for the latest 12 month rolling period (1st April 2021 - 31st March 2022).
Posted by: Howard Reed at 27/04/2022 17:22:44
2021-22 Q4 Data entry deadline
Quarter 4 ended on Thursday 31st March. All client activity up to and including Thursday 31st March should be entered into IMS online before the quarterly deadline - Friday 8th April 2022. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/04/2022 09:15:31
IMS 2021-22 Quarter 3 reports, NSP activity reports, and interactive maps are now available
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2021-22 Quarter 3 are both now available: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly as well as the latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. These reports contain all activity for the third quarter of 2021/22 as well as the total figures for the latest 12 month rolling period (1st January 2021 - 31st December 2021). These reports are accompanied by our IMS interactive maps https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/maps to show the quarterly and monthly client numbers by service provider and postcode districts.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 14/01/2022 12:00:00
2021-22 Q3 Data entry deadline
Quarter 3 ended on Friday 31st December. All client activity up to and including Friday 31st December should be entered into IMS online before the quarterly deadline - Friday 7th January 2022. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 04/01/2022 12:00:00
Christmas 2021
The university will be closed over Christmas from Thursday 23rd Dec, reopening on Tuesday 4th Jan 2022. But if you have any urgent IMS queries during this period please email me h.d.reed@ljmu.ac.uk and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able. All the best for a safe Christmas and New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 22/12/2021 09:53:50
Drug Related Deaths Annual Conference 2021
This year’s IMS Drug Related Deaths annual conference will take place on Thursday 2nd December 2021 from 9.30am-1pm via Microsoft Teams.  ★  While part of the conference’s focus will be on Cheshire and Merseyside data from 2020, the system is now being rolled out to the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities and so will be looking at some of the broader issues we are facing as a region.  ★  We will be joined at the conference by a number of speakers including activist and campaigner Peter Krykant who will be talking about the work in Glasgow with his pioneering drug consumption van alongside his new role with the charity Cranstoun, and hearing from Anyone’s Child, the campaign by Transform Drug Policy Foundation to “end the war on drugs, better protect our children, and get drugs under control.”  ★  Registration details via the event page: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/DRDevent
Posted by: Mark Whitfield at 30/09/2021 13:00:00
IMS Annual User Group Event 2021 - Registration now open
Registration is now open for the IMS annual user group event which takes place this year on Thursday 21st October 2021 from 9.30am-13.00pm. This year’s event will take place online using Microsoft Teams, more information and registration details are available on the event web page: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/event
Posted by: Howard Reed at 17/09/2021 12:30:00
2021-22 Q2 Data entry deadline
Quarter 2 ends on Thursday 30th September. All client activity up to and including Thursday 30th September should be entered into IMS online before the quarterly deadline - Friday 8th October 2021. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 15/09/2021 12:30:00
Save the Date – IMS Annual Event 2021
We will be holding this year’s Integrated Monitoring System (IMS) event on the morning of Thursday 21st October 2021 from 9.30am-12.30pm. The event will be focussed on the impact of Covid-19 on IMS reporting services around Cheshire and Merseyside with topics yet to be finalised but which will likely include:  ★  The first look at IMS data from 2020-21 which covers the first year of the pandemic and how activity for needle service provision (NSP) and services offering brief interventions has been affected by it.  ★  An opportunity to hear from low threshold services about their experiences of working through the pandemic over the last 18 months.  ★  A view from pharmacies around NSP provision during the pandemic. Because of the ongoing uncertainty around future social distancing restrictions, the event will be held via Microsoft Teams. Click here for details of how to register..
Posted by: Mark Whitfield at 19/08/2021 14:20:00
Drug overdoses alert message - Public Health England
PHE has issued a warning of a sharp rise in the number of overdoses linked to people using drugs in several areas across England, sadly resulting in a number of deaths. There are early signs that the overdoses may be caused by heroin mixed with a potent and dangerous synthetic opioid, but further work is needed to confirm any links between the cases. To date, there have been at least 46 poisonings resulting in 16 deaths but investigations are still ongoing. The areas affected include South London, the South East, South West and East of England. The PHE news alert is available via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/drug-users-urged-to-be-extra-careful-following-a-high-number-of-likely-heroin-overdoses
Posted by: Howard Reed at 18/08/2021 16:00:06
Needle and Syringe Programme (NSP) activity report
The latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report with data for July 2021, is available online. This report which excludes 'Brief Intervention only' clients provides a detailed view of NSP provision. The report which is produced monthly includes a quarterly, monthly and weekly breakdown of activity figures for all NSP providers https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity
Posted by: Howard Reed at 17/08/2021 09:00:00
IMS missing icons (resolved)
We identified a problem on some browsers where certain IMS icons failed to load correctly – for example the “edit client icon”. We have already implemented a fix to correct this, but it’s possible your browser hasn’t yet loaded the updated code. So if your IMS page doesn’t look correct forcing a full page refresh (CTRL + F5 keys together) this should fix it. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 15/07/2021 11:00:00
IMS 2021-22 Quarter 1 reports, NSP activity reports, and interactive maps are now available
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2021-22 Quarter 1 are both now available: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly as well as the latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. These reports contain all activity for the first quarter of 2021/22 as well as the total figures for the latest 12 month rolling period (1st July 2020 - 30th June 2021). This quarter we have accompanied these reports with a relaunch of our IMS interactive maps https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/maps to show the quarterly and monthly client numbers by service provider and postcode districts.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 14/07/2021 11:15:00
2021-22 Q1 Data entry deadline
Quarter 1 ended on Wednesday 30th June. All client activity up to and including Wednesday 30th June should be entered into IMS online before the quarterly deadline - Friday 9th July 2021. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/07/2021 09:00:00
New IMS pop-up survey COVID-19 vaccinations
With the easing of restrictions we are now ending the original "COVID lockdown restrictions & wellbeing" survey and replacing with a single question on COVID vaccinations. As a vulnerable cohort with significant physical health needs, particularly around respiratory conditions, it’s important that we can establish what vaccination coverage is for this population. The survey is just one question which asks whether a client has had one, or two vaccinations, or has declined a vaccination. The survey is designed so you only need one click one answer button to submit a response. So we do ask you please to complete it for each client accessing needle exchange or brief intervention wherever possible. Of course if you don’t know, or if the client doesn’t want to respond then just use the grey cancel and close button.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/05/2021 09:30:00
IMS 2020-21 Quarter 4 Reports are now available online
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2020-21 Quarter 4 are both now available: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly These reports contain all activity for the fourth quarter of 2020/21 as well as the total figures for the latest 12 month rolling period (1st April 2020 - 31st March 2021). This in effect forms the preliminary figures for the 2020/21 financial year. However we are still waiting on some data and the final figures will be included in the IMS annual report which will be published later in the year
Posted by: Howard Reed at 18/05/2021 12:00:00
Needle and Syringe Programme (NSP) activity report
The latest Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) activity report, is available online. This report which excludes 'Brief Intervention only' clients provides a detailed view of NSP provision. The report which is produced monthly includes a quarterly, monthly and weekly breakdown of activity figures for all NSP providers https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity
Posted by: Howard Reed at 11/05/2021 10:30:00
2020-21 Q4 Data entry deadline
Quarter 4 ended on Wednesday 31st March. All client activity up to and including Wednesday 31st March should be entered into IMS online before the quarterly deadline - Friday 9th April 2021. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/04/2021 09:00:00
Needle and Syringe Programme (NSP) activity report
The latest NSP activity report covering the period Jan - Dec 2020, is now available on the NSP activity page: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity The NSP report consists of a PDF summary with figures for each area, and an Excel workbook which includes quarterly, monthly and weekly data for clients, visits, and equipment. Because this report contains detailed data an IMS user login is required to open the page, as well as to open or download the reports.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/01/2021 16:00:00
Christmas 2020
The Public Health Institute will be closed over Christmas from Monday 21st Dec, reopening on Monday 4th Jan 2021, but if you have any urgent IMS queries during this period please email me h.d.reed@ljmu.ac.uk and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able. All the best for a safe Christmas and New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 15/12/2020 10:00:00
2020-21 Q3 Data entry deadline
Quarter 3 ends on Thursday 31st December. All client activity up to and including Thursday 31st December should be entered into IMS online before the quarterly deadline - Friday 8th January 2021. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 10/12/2020 10:00:00
IMS Drug Related Deaths Conference 2020
Our 2020 Drug Related Deaths Conference took place on Thursday 26th November as a 'Zoom' online event. Thank you to everyone who was able to join the event. For those of you who were unable to attend or had to leave the conference early, the recording of the full event minus the breakout rooms is available here: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/DRDevent . The video of the event is over 3 hours long, but you can watch an individual presentation or speaker by opening the video in YouTube and using the time point links listed in the description. https://youtu.be/ni5AMB0-lqU
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/12/2020 09:00:28
Needle and Syringe Programme (NSP) activity report
We continue to publish fortnightly reports for services providing Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) which highlights the impact of the pandemic on NSP activity over recent months . These are available in a dedicated area of the IMS site here: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity. The NSP report consists of a PDF summary with figures for each area, and an Excel workbook which includes quarterly, monthly and weekly data for clients, visits, and equipment. Because this report contains detailed data an IMS user login is required to open the page, as well as to open or download the reports.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 30/10/2020 09:00:43
2020-21 Quarter 2 Reports are now available
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2020-21 Quarter 2 are both now available: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly. The reports contain all activity for the second quarter of the 2020-21 financial year, and the twelve-month rolling year period (1st October 2019 – 30th September 2020). In addition to all the usual tables this report now contains a breakdown for the number of clients seen by each service monthly for the last 12 months. We know the current environment mean restrictions on these services provided face to face; however some services have been able to implement new ways of working such as online and remote interventions, and accordingly this table indicates where client contact has been maintained by including all types of contact and not just face to face.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 30/10/2020 09:00:05
Drug Related Deaths conference 2020
Our next Cheshire and Merseyside DRD conference will take place as an online event on Thursday 26th November 2020. The event registration is now open, details about how to register and about the speakers we have planned can be found on the DRD event web page
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/09/2020 10:28:43
New short paper published - International Journal of Drug Policy
We have recently had a short paper accepted for publication which, using IMS data, discusses how COVID-19 restrictions have impacted on the coverage of needle and syringe programmes. Our research finds that the restrictions resulted in substantial decreases in the number of individuals using NSP, along with the number of visits and needles distributed, resulting in the halving of NSP coverage for those injecting psychoactive drugs. We conclude that though it is currently unclear if there has been a decline in injecting, the decline in NSP coverage is so marked that it almost certainly reflects decreased utilisation among those in need, indicating increased equipment reuse and risk. You can read more about this research over at: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395920301912
Posted by: Howard Reed at 27/07/2020 09:00:29
Needle and Syringe Programme (NSP) activity report
In response to requests for a report specific to NSP activity, we now have a dedicated NSP activity report section IMS ims.ljmu.ac.uk/nsp-activity . The NSP report consists of a PDF summary with figures for each area, and an Excel workbook which includes quarterly, monthly and weekly data for clients, visits, and equipment. Because this report contains detailed data an IMS user login is required to open the page, as well as to open or download the reports.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 27/07/2020 09:00:25
2020-21 Quarter 1 Reports are now available
The IMS Quarterly Monitoring Report and IMS Activity & Data Quality Report for 2020-21 Quarter 1 are both now available: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly. The reports contain all activity for the first quarter of the 2020-21 financial year, and the twelve-month rolling year period (1st July 2019 – 30th June 2020). In addition to all the usual tables this report now contains a breakdown for the number of clients seen by each service monthly for the last 12 months. We know the current environment mean restrictions on these services provided face to face; however some services have been able to implement new ways of working such as online and remote interventions, and accordingly this table indicates where client contact has been maintained by including all types of contact and not just face to face. We know the challenges many of you are currently facing and would like to thank everyone for managing to enter or upload their IMS activity. Where there is further IMS activity still to be entered we will work with individual teams and this report will be updated and re-issued if necessary.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 27/07/2020 09:00:08
Online meetings with Microsoft Teams
As part of our remote working arrangements our preferred software for online meetings is "Microsoft Teams", meeting participants can use the Teams App, or alternatively join from a web browser without the need to install any software. We've put together some brief tips for participants in our PHI microsoft teams meeting guide and this short Microsoft Video also explains how to join a meeting.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 29/04/2020 13:45:20
2019-20 Q4 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
2019-20 Q4 Activity & Data Quality reports now available The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the final quarter and the full 2019-20 year. All quarterly reports are available here: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 24/04/2020 16:00:00
IMS Intervention Categories
Traditionally we've advised that a 'brief intervention' should be a face to face interaction, but as a result of COVID-19 social distancing measures we're aware that many services are finding new ways of working to allow you to reach out to your clients. At the last IMS user group event we discussed an update to our IMS Intervention Categories to reflect the range of services you deliver, this also included a category for "Contact and Interaction via other channels" (such as phone and online). With immediate effect we've switched on these new descriptions and would encourage services to continue to record all intervention activity. The full list together with category descriptions is available here: IMS-intervention-categories.pdf .If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback on this surveys please let us know.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 13/04/2020 09:00:00
IMS COVID-19 survey
We have incorporated a new survey into IMS to collect information on the impact of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for your service users. By completing this information you will be helping to provide a fuller picture on the effects of government guidance on this vulnerable population. A new ‘pop-up’ window with a brief survey (6 questions) will appear whenever you record either a Syringe Exchange Transaction, or a Brief Intervention. The brief survey questions are available here: COVID-survey-questions-popup.pdf This pop-up survey may be completed for each client once per day, please complete this as fully as you are able. If you do not have any information to complete just click the close/cancel button to dismiss the survey. Thank you for your assistance and if you have any additional suggestions or feedback on this surveys please let us know.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 09/04/2020 15:05:00
Update: IMS support
The IMS team and all PHI colleagues will be working remotely and away from our LJMU offices until further notice. However our remote working plans mean we have access to all our usual systems to support IMS, and we are contactable via both email and our usual phone numbers which can be found here: contact us. Information about LJMU and coronavirus can be found here: www.ljmu.ac.uk/about-us/information-on-coronavirus
Posted by: Howard Reed at 18/03/2020 12:31:26
2019-20 Q4 Data entry deadline
As we are now approaching the end of the 2019-20 financial year please be aware of the deadline for IMS data entry (or data upload where applicable). All client activity for 2019-20 (that's up to and including Tuesday 31st March) should be entered into IMS online before the quarterly deadline - Friday 10th April. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 10/03/2020 10:53:02
Update: Interventions list
The IMS interventions list screen has been updated to include a preview of any intervention notes. This preview shows the first 50 characters, but if you hover your mouse over the preview text then more information will display (upto 1,000 characters), for any notes longer than 1,000 characters you should click and open the record in the usual way to read the full notes. As always any comments or feedback please contact us.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 10/01/2020 08:45:25
PDF reports (resolved)
An issue reported earlier today affecting certain PDF reports has now been resolved, the issue didn't affect viewing your report data on screen but the PDF output could fail. If you experience any further issues please contact us, thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 08/01/2020 16:20:12
2019-20 Q3 Data entry deadline
Quarter 3 ended on Tuesday 31st December, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Tuesday 31st December) before the quarterly deadline - Friday 10th January If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 02/01/2020 08:48:01
Christmas 2019
The Public Health Institute will be closed over Christmas from Fri 20th Dec, reopening on Thurs 2nd Jan 2020, but if you have any urgent IMS queries during this period please email me h.d.reed@ljmu.ac.uk and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able. All the best for Christmas and the New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/12/2019 10:54:03
IMS document uploads
We're pleased to report that the issues affecting IMS document upload functionality have now been resolved. If you encounter any further issues with IMS functionality please contact us.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 10/12/2019 10:58:13
IMS planned maintainence
Due to planned server updates IMS online will be unavailable for a time between 8:30 and 9:30 on Monday 9th December 2019. It is likely that IMS will only be offline for a short period, but we apologise for any inconvenience.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 05/12/2019 13:01:24
Cheshire & Merseyside DRD event 2019
Our area-wide DRD meeting took place on Thursday 24th October 2019, it was attended by many services from across Cheshire & Merseyside. Presentations and pictures from the day are available on the DRD event page.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/10/2019 15:00:00
IMS user group event 2019
Our IMS annual user group event took place at Liverpool John Moores University on Thursday 19th September 2019. It's always great to meet IMS users from the many services who use IMS. Check out the IMS event page for more details and view presentations from the day.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 09/08/2019 08:42:55
IMS Online: 'Quick Assessment' - error resolved
We’ve fixed an issue where the “Quick Assessment” window was causing an error for some users when adding or updating client’s "Intervention" or "Transaction" records. If you are still experiencing any issues with these IMS functions please contact us. Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 05/08/2019 15:40:02
2019-20 Q1 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the first quarter of the 2019-20 year. All quarterly reports are available here: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/07/2019 15:49:40
2019-20 Q1 Data entry deadline
Quarter 1 ended on Sunday 30th June, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Sunday 30th June) before the quarterly deadline - Friday 12th July If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/07/2019 07:45:12
Drug Policy Reform event - 30th May
Mark from our IMS team is the Regional Ambassador for The Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform which was founded last year by MPs Jeff Smith and Thangam Debbonaire to seek members and supporters’ views on how to approach this area for the next manifesto. The North West event is taking place on May 30th from 6.30pm - 8.30pm at the Quaker Meeting House in central Liverpool and the panel will include: Neil Woods (Law Enforcement against Prohibition), Chris Lee (Public Health Specialist, Lancashire County Council), Marie Daniels (Anyone’s Child). Obviously other political parties are available and this event is not endorsed by the Public Health Institute or Liverpool John Moores University, but if you or anyone you know are members or supporters of the Labour Party and would like to attend the event then you can register for free using this link: https://labour-drug-policy.squarespace.com/liverpool
Posted by: Mark Whitfield at 10/05/2019 12:02:19
IMS Online: Planned maintenance
Due to planned maintenance on the LJMU internet servers access to IMS online may be interrupted between 7pm and midnight on Tuesday 21st May 2019. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 04/05/2019 13:59:51
2018-19 Q4 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the final quarter of the 2018-19 year. All quarterly reports are available here: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/04/2019 11:04:10
IMS Updates: Full assessment
For those teams that complete the full IMS assessment two additional questions have been added. The 'Drinking' tab now also includes "Tobacco Use in the last 14 days" and the 'Health' tab now includes self reported scores for both "Physical" and "Psychological" Health. Full details are available on data set form v3.1. These additional fields mean the IMS assessment now incorporates all questions included in the NDTMS Alcohol outcomes record (AOR).
Posted by: Howard Reed at 16/04/2019 09:22:28
IMS Online: Resolved
The problem reported relating to viewing client records has now been resolved. If you experience any further issues relating to this or any other areas of IMS Online then please contact us. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 15/04/2019 17:11:01
IMS Online: Issue viewing clients
We're currently investigating an issue preventing some IMS Online users from opening a client record on the 'Client List' screen. Further updates will follow. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 15/04/2019 16:36:15
IMS Annual Report 2017-18
Our latest IMS Annual Report is now available on our annual reports page. This report contains information related to both Needle and Syringe Programmes and Brief Intervention activity delivered by 145 services to 26,509 individuals across Cheshire and Merseyside during 2017-18.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 21/03/2019 15:32:06
IMS Online: Quick Assessment
The 'Quick Assessment' pop-up will now appear if either; (1) the current client has never had an assessment recorded, or (2) their last assessment was completed longer than six months ago. Where this is the case the pop-up window will show what was entered previously, you need to update any items which have changed including the assessment date, then click Save, this will create a new updated assessment record.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 18/03/2019 15:54:04
IMS Online: Resolved
The problem reported relating to adding new client records has now been resolved. If you experience any further issues relating to this or any other areas of IMS Online then please contact us. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 18/03/2019 15:31:44
IMS Online: Issue adding new clients
We're currently investigating an issue effecting some IMS Online users when attempting to add a new client. Further updates will follow. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 15/03/2019 15:11:17
Survey: Public opinions on cannabis policy
Please take part in our online survey designed to get a better understanding of what the UK public thinks about cannabis legalisation & decriminalisation, and what a legal cannabis market might look like in the UK. Full info at: http://cannabispolicy.co.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 05/03/2019 09:06:48
2018-19 Q4 Data entry deadline
As we are now approaching the end of the 2018-19 financial year please be aware of the deadline for IMS data entry (or data upload where applicable). All client activity for 2018-19 (that's up to and including Sunday 31st March) should be entered into IMS online by Friday 12th April. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 05/03/2019 08:28:09
Research Study: PrEP
Take part in a research study investigating perspectives on PrEP availability and use, the impact of PrEP on HIV testing, on sexual activity, barriers to accessing PrEP, and your views around how PrEP services can improve. Contact: @PHI_JenGermain or email j.s.germain@ljmu.ac.uk for more information.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 18/02/2019 16:01:23
Survey: Understanding drug-related health risks
Please take part in our survey to help us get a better understanding of how people who use illicit drugs understand risk. You must be 18+, live in the UK, and have used an illegal drug (apart from just cannabis) in the previous 12 months. The survey is available via this link: https://ljmupsych.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3F1gJfJfhg9JCKx If you have any questions about this survey please contact the study lead: Prof Harry Sumnall
Posted by: Howard Reed at 24/01/2019 09:08:53
2018-19 Q3 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the third quarter of the 2018-19 year. All quarterly reports are available here: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 22/01/2019 09:15:15
IMS System Status
IMS online is designed for most widely used browsers, in addition for it to work correctly you need to have 'java scripting' enabled. If you need to view your system settings, or check for any current system issues you can do so here: IMS System Status
Posted by: Howard Reed at 22/01/2019 08:54:04
2018-19 Q3 Data entry deadline
Quarter 3 ended on Monday 31st December, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Monday 31st December) before the quarterly deadline - Friday 11th January. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 03/01/2019 11:27:07
Christmas 2018
The Public Health Institute will be closed over Christmas from Fri 21st Dec, reopening on Weds 2nd Jan 2019, but if you have any urgent IMS queries during this period please email me h.d.reed@ljmu.ac.uk and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able. All the best for Christmas and the New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 14/12/2018 12:52:42
Evaluation of PIED e-learning module
The Public Health Institute are currently conducting an evaluation of a new PIED e-learning module targeted towards health care workers (e.g. GPs, nurses) who are likely to come into contact with PIED users as part of their work. The module aims to support the first stages of professional learning in order to improve knowledge and understanding of PIEDs and potential harms, and to improve the confidence of professionals so that they are better able to engage with and respond to the health needs of people who may use PIEDs. The research aims to understand whether the module is appropriate for use in UK settings, and what changes are needed to improve the acceptability and usefulness of the module for a UK audience. Further information on how to participate can be found here: www.ljmu.ac.uk/ERASMUSPIEDS
Posted by: Howard Reed at 24/10/2018 15:53:10
2018-19 Q2 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the second quarter of the 2018-19 year. All our quarterly reports are available here: ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/10/2018 16:00:13
Cheshire & Merseyside DRD event 2018
Our area-wide DRD meeting took place on Thursday 11th October 2018, and saw many services from across Cheshire & Merseyside working together to address issues around drug related death. More information and presentations from the day are available on the DRD event page .
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/10/2018 12:08:53
2018-19 Q2 Data entry deadline
Quarter 2 ends on Sunday 30th September, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Sunday 30th September) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 5th October. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/09/2018 15:03:55
IMS user group event 2018
Our IMS annual user group event took place at Liverpool John Moores University, on 14th September 2018. If you weren't able to attend why not have a look at the presentations available on the IMS event page now.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 14/09/2018 16:00:00
2018-19 Q1 Data entry deadline
Quarter 1 ends on Saturday 30th June, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Saturday 30th June) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 6th July. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 28/06/2018 08:50:34
IMS updates
Our latest update to IMS online has implemented a change to the 'Transactions' screen which allows multiple types of 'sharps bins' to be recorded to one syringe exchange transaction or return. Because of this new feature it is now no longer permitted to add multiple transaction records with the same date.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 14/06/2018 09:00:22
IMS planned maintenance
Due to planned system maintenance IMS online will be unavailable between 18:00 and 23:00 on Wednesday 13th June. We apologise for for any inconvenience this may cause.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/06/2018 09:02:51
Privacy and Data Security
IMS is designed to protect client privacy and to keep your data secure. We haven’t changed how we process your data and how we make sure it is kept secure. The information found on our IMS privacy page describes how IMS fulfills the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/05/2018 09:00:00
Merseyside Women of the year finalist
We’re delighted to hear that the director of a service using our IMS online tool has been nominated for the Merseyside Women of the year award. Carol Hamlett is the founder and director of Transforming Choice CIC, an innovative service which provides alternative alcohol detox and rehabilitation. For more information and to vote for Carol click here: https://merseysidewomenoftheyear.co.uk #MWOTY
Posted by: Howard Reed at 16/05/2018 09:09:26
2017-18 Quarter 4 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the fourth quarter of the 2017-18 year and all activity for the 2017-18 financial year (1st April 2017 – 31st March 2018). These reports contain the preliminary figures for the full 2017-18 year. Please note that a number of areas have outstanding data and the reports will be updated once this data is available. All our quarterly reports are available here: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/04/2018 08:42:44
IMS planned maintenance
Due to planned server maintenance IMS online may be unavailable for a short period of time on Saturday 12th May 2018. We apologise for for any inconvenience this may cause.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/04/2018 14:27:36
2017-18 Q4 Data entry deadline
As we are now approaching the end of the 2017-18 financial year please be aware of the deadline for IMS data entry (or data upload where applicable). All client activity for 2017-18 (that's up to and including Saturday 31th March) should be entered into IMS online by Friday 6th April. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/03/2018 14:04:11
Quarter 3 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the third quarter of the 2017-18 year and all activity for the last four quarters, covering the 12 month period 1st January 2017 – 31st December 2017. We also have the new 'data quality' report available along side the usual report. All our quarterly reports are available here: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/01/2018 12:51:00
2017-18 Q3 Data entry deadline
Quarter 3 ends on Sunday 31st December, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Sunday 31st December) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 5th January. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/12/2017 09:19:39
IMS Annual Report 2016-17
The 2016-17 IMS Annual Report is now available on our annual reports page. » 43 services and 91 pharmacies contributed to IMS in 2016/17. » 143,721 brief interventions, syringe exchange transactions, well-being reviews and onward referrals were delivered to 25,024 unique individuals across Cheshire and Merseyside. » For the first time this year’s report uses the three distinct cohort groups; individuals injecting psychoactive drugs, individuals injecting steroids & IPEDs, and individuals who accessed support related to alcohol or non-injecting drug use.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 20/12/2017 17:07:49
Christmas 2017
Our office will be closed over Christmas from Fri 22nd Dec, reopening on Tues 2nd Jan 2018, but if you have any IMS queries please email me h.d.reed@ljmu.ac.uk and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able. All the best for Christmas and the New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 20/12/2017 09:00:00
LJMU server update
This weekend (from 5pm on Fri 15th until Mon 18th December) LJMU will be relocating some critical servers to a new purpose built facility at our Byrom Street Campus. All computer systems should remain available, however we advise you save your work more frequently during this period. In case of any issues please follow our twitter account for updates twitter.com/PHI_IMS
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/12/2017 10:55:57
World AIDS Day: 1st Dec
World AIDS Day is held on the 1st December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. www.worldaidsday.org/
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/12/2017 00:00:00
IMS Online: Resolved
Our previous internet connection problems which may have affected access to IMS Online have been resolved. In the case of any issues updates are posted via our twitter account: https://twitter.com/PHI_IMS Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 24/11/2017 12:00:00
IMS Online: Connection Issues
LJMU is currently experiencing internet connection problems caused by a hardware fault overnight. IT Services are working to resolve the issue but access to IMS Online may be intermittent throughout the day and you should save your work frequently. Further updates will be provided via our twitter account: https://twitter.com/PHI_IMS We apologise for the inconvenience.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 24/11/2017 09:00:00
Quarter 2 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the second quarter of the 2017-18 year and all activity for the last four quarters, covering the 12 month period 1st October 2016 – 30th September 2017. We also have the new 'data quality' report available along side the usual report. All our quarterly reports are available here: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 20/10/2017 14:37:10
2017-18 Q2 Data entry deadline
Quarter 2 ends on Saturday 30th September, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Saturday 30th September) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 6th October. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Information on future dates is available here. Thank you
Posted by: Howard Reed at 26/09/2017 10:37:50
IMS User accounts - password expiry
Please remember to keep your IMS online password safe. IMS has been updated so your password must now be changed every two months. Shortly before your password expires you will see a reminder to update it. More details about IMS accounts are available here.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 14/09/2017 08:53:56
New: Reports dashboard - NPS (legal highs) & 'club drugs'
A new NPS (legal highs) tab has now been added to the reports dashboard this will allow your to visualise any data you've entered in the NPS (legal highs) module. We now also have a paper form available to help you capture information about both NPS and other 'club drugs'.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/08/2017 14:03:24
Quarter 1 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area are now available. The reports, which show your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, include activity for the first quarter of the 2017-18 year and all activity for the last four quarters, covering the 12 month period 1st July 2016 – 30th June 2017. We also have a new 'data quality' report available along side the usual report. All our quarterly reports are available here: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/07/2017 09:37:10
New: IMS reports dashboard
We have recently updated the agency reports page with a new 'Reports Dashboard' this allows you to visualise your own agency data with new graphs and charts as well as the usual in-built reports. More information can be found in our: reports dashboard quick quide.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 24/07/2017 12:41:28
2017-18 Q1 Data entry deadline
Quarter 1 ended on Friday 30th June, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Friday 30th June) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 7th July. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/07/2017 09:00:00
IMS Annual User Group
This year’s annual IMS users meeting will take place on Tuesday July 18th 10am – 1pm. The meeting will include a first look at figures from the forthcoming 2016-17 annual report, along with presentations on the new client cohorts, an update on drug-related deaths and an overview of new reporting tools. For more details and to register for this event please go to our eventbrite page: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 26/05/2017 11:33:11
IMS media page
The IMS media page now features video clips from the 2017 Harm Reduction International conference www.hri.global and highlights from results of the Global Drug Survey 2017 www.globaldrugsurvey.com
Posted by: Howard Reed at 26/05/2017 10:24:19
Quarter 4 Activity & Data Quality reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area, covering the period 1st April 2016 - 31st March 2017, are now available in IMS Online. We also have a new 'data quality' report available along side the usual report. All our quarterly reports are available here: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 08/05/2017 12:07:17
Needle Exchange Survey
We are researching the experience of people delivering needle exchange services across Cheshire and Merseyside and would be very grateful for your involvement. The questionnaire takes 5-10 minutes to complete and can be accessed online here ljmu.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/nsp
Posted by: Howard Reed at 11/04/2017 11:11:47
2016-17 Q4 Data entry deadline
As we are now approaching the end of the 2016-17 financial year please be aware of the deadline for IMS data entry (or data upload where applicable). All client activity for 2016-17 (that's up to and including Friday 31th March) should be entered into IMS online by Friday 14th April. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please contact us. Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 22/03/2017 09:45:09
IMS media page
Check out our IMS media page for a selection of video clips and news items which are relevant to IMS
Posted by: Howard Reed at 28/02/2017 10:17:31
Quarter 3 reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area, covering the period 1st April - 31st December 2016, are now available in IMS Online. All our quarterly reports are available here: https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/quarterly
Posted by: Howard Reed at 27/01/2017 15:26:52
IMS 'Quick Assessment' popup window
The quick assessment popup only appears for clients who've never had an assessment completed, when enabled a popup window will appear after you save an Intervention or Transaction. The quick assessment contains only the minimum data items from the IMS assessment it's designed to be quick & easy to complete. A short user guide is available with more details.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/01/2017 14:10:40
A Force for Good? How the criminal justice system can support the public’s health.
Our next free Public Health in Focus seminar takes place on Wednesday 25th January 2017 and explores the interrelationship between the criminal justice system and public health. Speakers will include Neil Woods (author of Good Cop, Bad War), Lee Turners (Merseyside Police) and Daniel Silverstone (Reader in Policing at LJMU). For further details download the event information flyer here. To attend please contact PublicHealthInFocus@ljmu.ac.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 05/01/2017 11:53:35
2016-17 Q3 Data entry deadline
Quarter 3 ended on Saturday 31st December, for teams who enter data directly into IMSonline the data extract will be completed automatically. Please make sure you've entered all client activity for 2016 before the quarterly dealine which is Friday 6th January. For those teams who use other data entry systems, you will need to extract your 'non-structured' client activity for inclusion within IMS and upload your data extract to the IMS secure drop box thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 03/01/2017 09:19:34
Assessment Issues
We have noticed a number of issues occurring with adding or updating assessment records. This issue has been logged and is under investigation. A fix will be in place on Tuesday 3rd January. We apologies for any inconvenience this has caused to our users.
Posted by: Jamie Deville at 30/12/2016 20:27:24
Christmas 2016
Our office is closed over Christmas until Tuesday 3rd Jan 2017, but if you have any IMS queries please email me h.d.reed@ljmu.ac.uk and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able. All the best for Christmas and the New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/12/2016 12:00:00
IMS Annual Report 2015-16
The 2015-16 IMS Annual Report is now available on our annual reports page. » 47 services and 84 pharmacies contributed to IMS in 2015/16. » 209,606 brief interventions, syringe exchange transactions, and onward referrals were delivered, an increase of 7.1% on 2014/15. » 26,197 unique individuals appear in the data set across Cheshire and Merseyside, a decrease of 16.2% compared to the number of individuals in 2014/15. Appendix D includes a breakdown by agency for the year.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/12/2016 12:16:59
New: IMS complete user guide
The full IMS user guide has now been updated to include all the latest IMSonline features. The new guide is available here: IMS user guide (version 2.0)
Posted by: Howard Reed at 28/11/2016 10:37:40
Have you checked the client assessment page?
It's important that up to date client assessment information is entered in IMS, we recommended that a new assessment is entered when the previous one was longer than six months ago. But for some agencies there are a number of clients who've never had an assessment entered. There's a user guide available, and an assessment form. If you need any advice on IMS assessments please contact us.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 16/11/2016 17:00:30
Update: Client Notes
In response to feedback about the client notes page, the size of the notes text field has been increased to allow up to 10,000 characters. You may need to use the scroll bar if you enter a large amout of text.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 07/11/2016 15:52:43
Quarter 2 reports now available
The latest quarterly reports for each local authority area now available in IMS Online. You can now find all quarterly reports, annual reports and other IMS information on our https://ims.ljmu.ac.uk/info page.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 04/11/2016 16:41:38
Carbon Monoxide Breath Test
For those services using 'Smokerlyzers' please remember to record this as an Intervention. Select 'Health Screening' as the category and then 'Carbon Monoxide Breath Test' as the type. There's a smokerlyzer poster available as a reminder.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 14/10/2016 16:06:07
Drug Related Deaths - Data entry form
The DRD form is now incorporated into IMSonline this option can be added to individual user accounts. Please contact us if you need it enabling. A quick guide for users is available to download here.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/10/2016 18:02:07
2016-17 Q2 Data entry deadline
Quarter 2 ends on Friday 30th September, for teams who enter data directly into IMSonline the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Friday 30th September) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 7th October. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please let us know. For those teams who use other data entry software, you will need to extract your ‘non-structured’ client activity data for inclusion within IMS and upload your data to the IMS secure drop box Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 30/09/2016 09:44:38
Update: Assessments
The Assessments module has now been updated to include new items in IMS Core Data Set 2.0. A key change is the expansion of the 'Chronic Conditions or Disability' field. Full details are available in the assessments user guide , also if you use the paper assessments form this has been updated.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 06/09/2016 16:04:31
Update: Health Screening Interventions
As a result of your feedback and to simplify the data entry process Health Screening activities have now been incorporated into the Interventions page. Select the ‘Interventions Category’ first, then you will see the ‘Intervention Type’ contains a list of screening activities. This replaces the separate ‘Screenings’ module; all previously recorded activity has been transferred over.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/09/2016 13:23:37
Quarter 1 reports now available
The latest quarterly report is now available in IMS Online. You can now access maps, quarterly and annual reports via the Interactive Maps & Reports button.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/08/2016 12:40:19
IMS User group presentations
The IMS user group event took place on Thursday 14th July, thank you to everyone who was able to attend. Presentations and videos from the event are available here: www.cph.org.uk/ims/ims-user-group-event-2016
Posted by: Howard Reed at 15/07/2016 08:42:17
2016-17 Q1 Data entry deadline
Quarter 1 ended on Thursday 30th June, for teams who enter data directly into IMSonline the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Thursday 30th June) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 15th July. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please let us know. For those teams who use other data entry software, you will need to extract your ‘non-structured’ client activity data for inclusion within IMS and upload your data to the IMS ‘secure drop box Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/07/2016 08:46:52
IMS Annual User Group
Our annual IMS user group meeting takes place on Thursday 14th July 10am - 1.00pm. This will be an opportunity for users of the system to discuss the IMS dataset, preview latest data, give feedback on development of IMS. For more details and to register for this event please go to our eventbrite page: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 30/05/2016 12:00:24
Quarter 4 reports now available
The latest quarterly report is now available in IMS Online. You can now access maps, quarterly and annual reports via the Interactive Maps & Reports button.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/05/2016 16:21:27
Q4 deadline extended...
You may have experienced problems accessing IMSonline on Friday, this was due to a UK wide issue with the university internet network. Because of this the Q4 data entry deadline has been extended to Wednesday (20th April). In the case of any connection issues it's worth checking our twitter feed @cph_ims as we will post updates. Sorry again for the problems.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/04/2016 08:18:01
2015-16 Q4 Data entry deadline
Quarter 4 ended on Thursday 31th March, for teams who enter data directly into IMSonline the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Thursday 31th March) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 15th April. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please let us know. For those teams who use other data entry software, you will need to extract your ‘non-structured’ client activity data for inclusion within IMS and upload your data to the IMS ‘secure drop box Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 08/04/2016 10:27:06
New Drugs: Treatment, interventions and harm reduction seminar
This free event in the ESRC funded seminar series focuses on treatment, community interventions and harm reduction approaches to new drugs (including NPS / HED / IPED) Venue: LJMU Date: Wed 4th May 2016 Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk Further details: https://newdrugseminars.wordpress.com
Posted by: Howard Reed at 11/03/2016 14:05:54
Anabolic Steroids: Evidence & Engagement Conference
With leading international and UK speakers, this conference will investigate what we know about use of Anabolic Steroids, and the key challenges we are currently facing. Venue: LJMU Date: Wed 22nd June 2016 Further details: SteroidConference2016
Posted by: Howard Reed at 02/03/2016 09:27:13
Recording NPS 'legal highs' & club drugs
If your clients have any experience with NPS 'legal highs' & other club drugs please record details in the NPS (legal highs) section. More details are found in the module quick guide... www.cph.org.uk/imsdataset/IMSnpslegalhighs.pdf
Posted by: Howard Reed at 12/02/2016 09:21:33
2015-16 Q3 Data entry deadline
Quarter 3 ended on Thursday 31th December, for teams who enter data directly into IMSonline the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Thursday 31th December) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 8th January. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please let us know. For those teams who use other data entry software, you will need to extract your ‘non-structured’ client activity data for inclusion within IMS and upload your data to the IMS ‘secure drop box Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 04/01/2016 09:00:02
Christmas 2015
Our office is closed over Christmas until Monday 4th Jan 2016, but if you have any IMS queries please email me h.d.reed@ljmu.ac.uk and I’ll respond as soon as I’m able. All the best for Christmas and the New Year from the IMS team.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/12/2015 16:00:00
IMS Annual Report 2014-15
The 2014-15 IMS Annual Report is available to download here: IMS-Annual-Report-2014-15.pdf ♦♦ 52 services and 94 pharmacies contributed to IMS in 2014/15 ♦♦ 195,630 brief interventions, syringe exchange transactions, and onward referrals were delivered ♦♦ 31,246 unique individuals appear in the data set across Cheshire and Merseyside
Posted by: Howard Reed at 17/12/2015 12:00:00
RSPH Video: Improve and Protect
The use of IMSonline is featured in a new video produced by RSPH Royal Society for Public Health looking at the importance of data collection in Public Health. Watch the video on the IMS webpage: www.cph.org.uk/ims
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/10/2015 13:11:46
NWC Research and Innovation Award Finalist
We're excited to report that IMS has been shortlisted in the 'Best example of advancing local NHS systems for innovation' category at the 2015 North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the development and success of IMSonline . For more information about the NWC awards visit: www.nwcawards.co.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 23/10/2015 12:58:37
PHE survey of needle and syringe programmes
Public Health England are conducting a survey of needle and syringe programmes (NSP). The survey closes on October 31st. The survey link for providers of NSP is: https://surveys.phe.org.uk/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=NSPProv2015 and for commissioners the link is https://surveys.phe.org.uk/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=NSPComm2015
Posted by: Howard Reed at 20/10/2015 13:27:25
Image & Performance Enhancing Drugs (IPED) Survey - 2015
The IPEDs Survey 2015 is now open and you are invited to contribute at: www.cph.org.uk/ipedsurvey This survey is for anyone who's used any IPEDs including: Anabolic Steriods, Peptide Hormones, Injectable Tanning agents, Diuretics, Fat burners or Anti-Estrogen drugs.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/10/2015 11:00:10
New IMSonline module: NPS 'legal highs' & club drugs
You can now record additional details relating to NPS 'legal highs' & club drugs in a new dedicated IMSonline module. More details are found in the module quick guide... www.cph.org.uk/imsdataset/IMSnpslegalhighs.pdf
Posted by: Howard Reed at 16/10/2015 12:12:06
New IMSonline module: Take home Naloxone
Does your service provide ‘take home Naloxone’ for clients at risk for Opioid overdose, or do you have plans to begin providing it following the October 2015 changes to UK legislation? IMSonline now includes a module to allow you to monitor Naloxone kits you’ve issued, more details available in our quick guide www.cph.org.uk/imsdataset/IMSnaloxoneOct15.pdf
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/10/2015 11:39:46
2015-16 Q2 Data entry deadline
Quarter 2 ended on Wednesday 30th September, for teams who enter data directly into IMSonline the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Wednesday 30th September) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 9th October. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please let us know. For those teams who use other data entry software, you will need to extract your ‘non-structured’ client activity data for inclusion within IMS and upload your data to the IMS ‘secure drop box Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/10/2015 10:23:10
IMSonline new layout
IMSonline has now been updated, if you have any problems or have an older browser which does not support the new layout, then you can still access the ‘old’ version of IMS with this link https://ses.ljmu.ac.uk A guide to the main updates is available IMSonline updates quick guide, we hope you like the changes please let us have your feedback CPHmonitoring@ljmu.ac.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 17/09/2015 09:14:40
IMSonline September 2015 refresh
During the next week you will notice some updates to IMSonline there are no changes to the data you'll need to enter, just the appearance and layout on your screen. A quick guide to the main changes is now available: IMSonline updates quick guide
Posted by: Howard Reed at 09/09/2015 15:59:27
TIIG Themed Report: Alcohol Licensing
Our colleagues in the Trauma and Injury Intelligence Group (TIIG) have published a new report on the use of A&E data in the alcohol licensing process. The report is free to download at: www.cph.org.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 31/07/2015 11:42:33
Update - Recording assessments
As a result of feedback from our last IMS user group meeting we've updated Assessments screen so you can now record "0" (zero) drinking days, drinking units, AUDIT score, or number of children. However if the client is not asked or refuses to answer, then this item should still be left blank.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 30/07/2015 12:33:10
2015-16 Q1 Data entry deadline
Quarter 1 ends on Tuesday 30th June, for teams who enter data directly into IMS the data extract will be completed automatically. So please make sure you've entered all client activity (that's up to and including Tuesday 30th June) before the quarterly deadline - which will be Friday 10th July. If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please let us know CPHMonitoring@ljmu.ac.uk Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 29/06/2015 15:28:51
IMS Annual User Group
Our annual IMS user group meeting takes place on Friday 26th June 11am - 1.30pm. This is an opportunity to meet other people who use IMS, to discuss the system and to hear about our future plans. For more details and to register for this event please go to our eventbrite page: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/06/2015 10:32:53
Feedback survey
It's now six months since we first piloted IMS Online and we would like feedback about your experience, is the system easy to use, and how relevant do you find the data items for your service?... Take our Online Survey
Posted by: Jamie Deville at 23/04/2015 10:06:01
Updated review forms
Paper copies of the assessment and wellbeing forms are now available, please note that usage is optional as these are not intended to replace your own processes. They’ve been updated as a result of feedback from teams who found the form useful as a prompt, together with a list of the possible reference data options.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 02/04/2015 10:08:28
2014-15 Data entry deadline
As you'll be aware Tuesday 31st March marked the end of the 2014-15 financial year. There is no longer a requirement for you to complete a data extract as it’s now completed automatically. But please make sure you've entered all client activity up to and including Tuesday 31st March by this Friday (10th April). If you are likely to have any problems achieving this please let us know CPHMonitoring@ljmu.ac.uk Thank you.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/04/2015 15:22:17
Do you have an interest in Drug Policy?
There are still a few places left at our free event on Tuesday afternoon next week, open to the public with a free lunch and Johann's book is amazing. Some places left if you're quick, register via www.cph.org.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 19/03/2015 16:04:13
CPH Research In Focus Event
This HIT & CPH event on Tue 24th March will look at drug policy, the speakers are: Johann Hari a British writer and journalist who has written regular columns for The Independent and The Huffington Post. He will explore issues covered in his acclaimed new book ‘Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs’. And Steve Rolles Senior Policy Analyst at Transform Drug Policy Foundation. As well as writing a range of journal articles, periodicals and book chapters, Steve was lead author on many of Transform’s publications, including 2009’s ‘After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation’. For event details and registration visit... www.cph.org.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 25/02/2015 16:04:00
Maps & Quarterly report now available
The latest quarterly report is now available in IMS Online. You can now access maps, quarterly and annual reports via the 'Interactive Maps & Reports' button.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 02/02/2015 12:14:12
IMS Annual Report 2013-14
The IMS Annual report details the results of the IMS over 2013-14, cross matching it with data from National Drugs Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS), and Criminal Justice - Drugs Intervention Programme (DIP) to provide a report inclusive of every individual in contact with any drug or alcohol treatment/low threshold service or syringe-exchange across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 29/01/2015 15:17:20
Follow us...
If you've been trying to access IMSonline since yesterday lunch time you'll have noticed we've been having a few server problems. We promise we don't make a habit of this, but in the case of any issues it's worth checking our twitter feed @cph_ims as we will post updates on any issues. Sorry again for the problems.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 28/01/2015 09:35:28
Smoking Cessation Referrals
Local Public health commissioners are interested in the number of clients with referrals to smoking cessation services. If applicable, please record this as a 'Referral Out' and select "Smoking Cessation Service" as the referral category.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 06/01/2015 12:34:44
Recording 'Legal Highs'
To record a 'Legal High' select Substance 1, 2 or 3 in the client assessment and look for "NPS" (New Psychoactive Substances) in the list. Unlike other substances NPS are described by their effect instead of a drug name, but if you don't have further details use "NPS Other - effects different, or not stated".
Posted by: Howard Reed at 05/01/2015 15:59:25
IMS Data submission: 2014-15 Quarter 3
The 2014-15 Quarter 3 period ended on Wednesday 31st December 2014, as you are now using IMS Online you no longer need to submit a data extract. You just need to make sure that all your activity for quarter 3 (that's everything up to & including Weds 31st Dec) has been entered into IMS Online before 5pm on Friday 9th January. If you have any problems making this deadline please email us. CPHMonitoring@ljmu.ac.uk
Posted by: Howard Reed at 05/01/2015 10:17:10
Update: Assessment highlighting
When viewing client records you may notice the “Assessments” tab (and “Wellbeing” where applicable) changing colour. *RED* indicates this client has never had an assessment entered. *ORANGE* means the last assessment was entered longer than six months ago.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 05/12/2014 15:16:07
Christmas & New Year
The Centre for Public Health is closed from Wednesday 24th December until Monday 5th January 2015. We would like to wish all IMS online users a very Merry Christmas. If you require any help while we’re closed, the IMS user guide and other information is available on our website www.cph.org.uk/ims
Posted by: Howard Reed at 01/12/2014 09:58:05
IMS Online: New agency migrations
We are currently rolling out IMSonline to existing GOLIATH, LAIKA and BAKER agencies. For more information about the system please go to the user guide and dataset pages on our website, or you can check your systems are compatible. If you’d like to arrange a date for your service to be migrated please contact us
Posted by: Howard Reed at 21/11/2014 10:30:29
Update: Postcode look up
You are encouraged to enter full postcodes in the client assessment screen. This will allow your client assessment data to be mapped to ward areas on our interactive maps, which will soon be part of IMS online. Clients can be reassured that only the first part of their postcode is used in the data extracted by LJMU Centre for Public Health. However we appreciate that clients may not know their full postcode, or might only be willing give the first part, so we have now updated IMS online to accept part postcodes. If you enter a partial postcode the DAT & LA boxes will not populate, but the lists will change to show options for that postcode area. Simply select the relevant DAT & LA from the list.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 30/10/2014 12:38:35
IMS Online: Request for pilot sites
I’m pleased to report that we’ve made great progress with the first stage of development and are now in a position to offer the tool in advance to a limited number of agencies who are prepared to work with us as pilot sites. It represents an exciting opportunity to test out this new tool and be involved in the initial pre-launch development of what will become the final release version.
Posted by: Howard Reed at 18/09/2014 14:14:50
IMS Online: Testing
The new online IMS tool is currently in the testing phase and will be launched later this year, please check our web pages for more information. CPH Website
Posted by: Howard Reed at 08/09/2014 10:56:00
Scheduled Maintenance
We are currently performing maintenance on the site and you may experience problems. Please contact us on CPHMonitoring@ljmu.ac.uk for assistance.
Posted by: Jamie Deville at 05/09/2014 11:10:22
Data Analyst vacancy - come and work with us
We’re looking for someone who has experience of working with different types of data and a good grasp of the issues around substance use and addictions to join our team. This is a new role within our team primarily to support our drug related deaths work, but it’ll also more broadly support our team with our other surveillance systems including IMS and TIIG. Full details of the vacancy are available here: https://jobs.ljmu.ac.uk/vacancy/drug-related-deaths-lead-data-analyst-458948 The closing date for applications is 6th October 2021. If you think you might be interested in the role but are worried you might not meet the person spec, or if you’d just like to find out some more about it, please do contact me m.whitfield@ljmu.ac.uk for an informal chat.
Posted by: Mark Whitfield at 21/09/2001 10:08:45