Aberdeen worst in nation for drug treatment services, figures show

statistics reveal 59% of those waiting for assessment date on list for more than 12 months

By Tim Pauling

Published:

Aberdeen has the worst local drug treatment services in Scotland, it emerged yesterday.

According to statistics published by the Scottish Government, at the end of the year 59% of those waiting for an assessment date had been waiting for more than 12 months – and another 21% had been waiting six to nine months.

A total of 456 people had been waiting more than 12 months, compared with just 200 (38%) in Edinburgh.

In Glasgow, no one had to wait that long.

The official NHS figures also show that between October-December 2007, 121 people in Aberdeen were given an assessment date but 25% had to wait more than a year, again the highest in Scotland.

Last September, Public Health Minister Shona Robison rebuked NHS Grampian for failing to meet drug treatment targets.

North-east Labour MSP Richard Baker has now appealed to ministers to take a close look a the “shocking” figures when allocating money for services in the north-east.

“Aberdeen should get the money it needs to deal with this problem and that means it should get extra resources,” he said.

“Other areas obviously will need funding but they don’t have the same problems in waiting times that Aberdeen has.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said NHS Grampian, Aberdeen City Council and the local alcohol drug action team are working together to develop “robust proposals” to reduce waiting times.

Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing met with the organisations on February 29 to seek reassurances they are determined to tackle the issue.

The government spokes-woman said: “These latest figures are extremely disappointing and there is clearly much work to be done.

“We expect to see improvements in the near future now that an action plan has been drawn up.”

An NHS Grampian spokes-man said: “The figures are disappointing but we are working on plans to tackle the problem.

"Long term we will be focussing on getting these clients on and thereafter out of treatment and back into mainstream life.

“We will be working with partner agencies in areas such as housing, education, rehabilitation, training and employment.”

He added that the £2.7million Timmer Market scheme was central to the health board’s plans.

It will involve a team of GPs, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and rehabilitation workers offering prescribing, counselling, group work and employment programmes from a base near Castlegate, in Aberdeen.

Nationally, 27% of drug abusers have to wait more than a year for an initial assessment and 26% more than a year for an appointment.

The Conservatives managed to get the government to agree to produce a new drugs strategy in the Scottish budget negotiations.

In January, spending watchdog Audit Scotland agreed to review how effectively taxpayers’ money is being invested in drugs services.

Its report will used to help shape the new drugs strategy, which will be published this summer.