The Needle and Syringe Programme (NSP) is a public health initiative from the South Gloucestershire Public Health Team, designed to reduce harm among people who inject drugs. It provides free, clean injecting equipment, safe disposal options and access to a support worker at Developing Health and Independence (DHI) or a local pharmacy.
NSPs help prevent harm associated with injecting drugs, including the spread of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. They also reduce the risk of bacterial infections like sepsis and minimise harm from wounds and abscesses that can occur due to contaminated or damaged equipment.
Many people who inject drugs face barriers to accessing clean equipment. Community-based dispensers help bridge this gap. The dispensers are token operated and tokens can be collected anonymously from a DHI worker, a pharmacy or a GP surgery. Through signposting, they also offer a gateway to further support, including blood-borne virus testing, naloxone provision and referrals to treatment services.
NSP dispensers are:
• Discreet and easy to use.
• Accessible outside traditional service hours.
• Stocked with clean needles, syringes, wipes, and disposal bins.
• Designed to reduce drug-related litter and promote safer injecting practices.
As part of a pilot, NSP dispensers are now installed in the following locations across South Gloucestershire:
• Moravian Road Men’s toilets, Kingswood, BS15 8LY
• Kingswood Park Female toilets, Kingswood, BS15 4AD
• Pilning Pharmacy, Northwick Road, Pilning, BS35 4JF
The dispensers complement existing services in pharmacies and outreach programmes, which remain available for people who inject drugs. You can contact DHI on 01454 868750 or visit South Glos LIFE | Needle and Syringe Programme (previously Needle Exchange) to find pharmacy locations.
