Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Concerns over lack of pace on drug reforms
EXPERTS have expressed concerns over the rate at which changes are being made to Dundee drug services.
The Dundee Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) has presented its long-awaited action plan to elected members in the city, which outlines how it aims to improve services so vulnerable people are given the help they need.
The “ambitious” plan – first shown to members of the Dundee Partnership in October last year – is made up of a dozen goals the ADP hopes to achieve over the next two years.
Among the more immediate key priorities are:
A commitment to respond to all near-fatal overdoses within 72 hours by this May.
The same-day prescribing of heroin substitutes, where appropriate, by March.
Implementing lessons on drug misuse in Dundee schools by April.
Recruiting volunteers with experience to help people to recover from addiction by December.
While the action plan has been welcomed, the Dundee Drugs Commission has expressed some concern over the pace at which change is taking place.
The commission unveiled its findings in August – almost six months ago – but preliminary figures suggest as many as 70 people lost their lives to drugs in Dundee last year.
Robert Peat, chairman of the commission, said: “I would have liked to have seen some things change immediately.
“It could be happening more quickly, but it takes time to understand what’s needed and then get the partnership commitment to work together on what can be achieved. The main thing is that it is happening at all.
“Unfortunately it’s clear the number of drug-related deaths will be more than last year, but I think we have to see the changes being implemented and we’ll see that difference being made.”
Dr Peat spoke after the Scottish Government’s national Drug Death Taskforce visited Dundee to learn more about the findings.
Days before, councillors heard the ADP, which runs the city’s Integrated Substance Misuse
Unit, responsible for the majority of treatment services, is to open itself up to a greater level of scrutiny than it has in the past.
It has replaced its last chair, NHS Tayside public health director Dr Drew Walker, with Simon Little, who is completely independent of any services in Dundee.
The commission is also set to have a continued role in scrutinising the work of the ADP – after Dr Peat suggested in October that it should do so – following a move by Lochee councillor Michael Marra to have its future written in stone.