Delay in treatment puts addicts at risk

9:56am Sunday 31st August 2008

Comments (7)   Have your say »

A DEVIZES mother who battled to get treatment for her drug addict son believes addicts' lives are at risk due to the length of time they have to wait for treatment.

The mother, who has asked not to be named, resorted to buying a prescription drug on the black market to help her son stop injecting heroin. At the time he was waiting for an appointment with the drug and alcohol team.

The mother said: "I found myself in a desperate situation. My son was begging for help. Bath Area Drugs Advisory Service referred my son as an emergency case but we had to wait two weeks for the appointment.

"He had no tolerance to heroin so I feared if he used it again he would die."

Her son, an office worker in his 20s, has been a drug user on and off for nine years but recently he started injecting heroin which he had not done before.

The mother said: "Access to specialist help should be quicker. The specialist drug and alcohol team at Green Lane Hospital in Devizes, has limited resources and a long waiting list.

Andrew Davidson, vice-chairman of Wiltshire Addiction Support Project, said: "In Wiltshire the drug and alcohol team is under funded. You can get drug treatment in six to eight weeks. It's unusual to get a referral in two weeks. "

Mr Davidson said Wiltshire needed to have more drug detox beds. It only had one detox bed for those addicted to drugs or alcohol.

A county council spokesman said: "We work in partnership with organisations including the Primary Care Trust to provide help for people who need treatment and support. The partners pool the budget together to help fund this service and this year the county council has doubled its investment in residential rehabilitation."

Eleanor Stirling, public health manager for the health trust, said: "Most drug users prefer to go to inpatient/residential services outside their immediate area. It removes them from their drug using networks which is why we commission services from a number of specialist providers, in neighbouring counties."