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Barriers remain to residential rehab , says Public Health Scotland
There are still barriers to accessing residential rehab in Scotland , according to a Public Health Scotland ( PHS ) report . Perceptions of residential rehabilitation among referrers is the first evaluation of the Scottish Government ’ s five-year residential rehabilitation programme , which was launched in 2021 to improve access to residential facilities . While there was some evidence of progress , ‘ barriers to accessing residential rehab do still exist ’, the document concludes .
Bed capacity has increased by 8 per cent , and the last financial year saw more than 800 rehab placements approved for public funding . However , only a quarter of referrers thought residential rehab was easily accessible , and less than a fifth of people who used drugs ‘ felt reasonably well informed ’ about residential provision . Alongside structural barriers like long waiting times or lack of space were lack of time or resources to help clients prepare for rehab and lack of facilities near to where clients lived , the document states . Other barriers identified included insufficient suitable provision for people with
PLANS TO CONTINUE WITH MUP for alcohol in Scotland , and to increase it by 15p to 65p per unit , are to go before the Scottish Parliament for approval . When the MUP legislation was introduced in 2018 it was subject to a ‘ sunset clause ’, meaning it will expire next month unless MSPs vote to keep it in place . If the Scottish Parliament agrees , the new price will come into force at the end of September , with the aim of countering the caring responsibilities or mental health issues , long waiting times for detox , and concerns about aftercare , says PHS . The agency will publish its final report on the programme in 2026 .
In early 2021 the Scottish Government pledged £ 250m over five years to tackle the country ’ s drug deaths crisis ( DDN , February 2021 , page 4 ). The most recent drug-related death figures showed a fall of 21 per cent on the previous year , but the number is still almost four times higher than 20 years ago . The alcohol-related death total in 2021 , meanwhile , was the country ’ s highest for 13 years , with death rates five times higher in the country ’ s most deprived areas ( DDN , July / August 2022 , page 4 ).
‘ This report is the first output of our independent evaluation of the Scottish Government residential rehabilitation programme – we hope its baseline findings can support important discussions on residential rehabilitation in Scotland ,’ said director of population health and wellbeing at PHS , Ruth Glassborow . ‘ Our report found evidence suggesting some progress towards increasing access to individuals , however , there are
effects of inflation , the Scottish Government states . Despite the introduction of MUP , however , the most recent Scottish alcohol death statistics showed the highest number of fatalities since 2008 ( DDN , September 2023 , page 5 ), and there have also been concerns that some dependent drinkers are cutting back on food and other essentials in order to buy alcohol .
‘ We welcome this uprating , which will keep prices in line with inflation ,’ said WithYou ’ s
‘ We hope [ these ] findings can support important discussions on residential rehabilitation in Scotland .’
RUTH GLASSBOROW
still significant barriers that people face . There is also a risk of uneven progress across different parts of the country which may exacerbate existing health inequalities .’
Report at https :// publichealthscotland . scot /
Minimum Unit Pricing set to be 65p
policy lead for Scotland , Graeme Callander . ‘ However , we know that MUP will not help or protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society – those who are already drinking harmfully and will find a way to keep drinking , regardless of the cost . In order to reach these people , and ultimately save lives , the Scottish Government needs to ensure that well-resourced alcohol treatment and support services are available in communities across Scotland .’
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SURVIVOR SERVICES We Are Survivors ( formerly Survivors Manchester ) has been awarded the NHS contract to deliver traumainformed talking therapy to survivors of sexual abuse across 15 prisons in the North West . ‘ We have worked so hard over the past decade to establish our presence in prison and have supported the prison service and governors since the tsunami of disclosures by adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse following the ITV documentary on Savile ,’ said CEO Duncan Craig .
CLOSED DOORS Turning Point Scotland has announced the closure of its 218 service for women offenders after 20 years . The service offered women ‘ time out of their normal , usually challenging circumstances – without resorting to a custodial sentence – where they could explore and address the causes of their offending behaviour ,’ the charity says . The decision was made following budget cuts by Glasgow City Council .
ROAD TO RECOVERY The Forward Trust will deliver an integrated substance misuse service for adults and young people in Thurrock from next month , in partnership with Open Road . ‘ We know firsthand how , with the right support , people can and do transform their lives , and are excited to work with local partners to deliver this life changing work ,’ said Forward ’ s executive director of substance misuse , Jason Moore .
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