By Bill Heaney
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, pictured right, has today said that SNP ministers must use every tool at their disposal to end the drug deaths crisis after a new survey found that many services are reporting barriers to meeting key standards for treatment.
The Scottish Government’s Annual Alcohol and Drug Partnership Survey reports on the state of drug treatment across all 30 of Scotland’s Alcohol and Drug Partnership areas.
The 2023/24 survey found that:
- All ADPs reported barriers to residential rehabilitation, with the most commonly reported barrier being insufficient barriers- 77% of ADPs reported this as a barrier, rising from 48% last year.
- All ADPs reported a range of barriers to implementing standards for helping people access medical, psychological and social support (MAT standards). 70% of ADPs reported insufficient funds as a barrier here.
- ADPS also reported a lack of staff as a barrier in achieving the MAT standards relating to accessing psychological support, mental health and trauma informed care.
Medical Assisted Treatment standards were described by former Drugs Minister Angela Constance as ‘crucially important’. Speaking about these standards, she told the Scottish Parliament that her view, ‘is unequivocal- they must be delivered.’
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “By failing to move beyond the well-meaning words and promises, this SNP government has presided over a drug deaths crisis that is worse than anywhere else in Europe.
“Today’s disappointing figures show that the Scottish Government are still falling short on so many measures of good care.
“Ministers must use every tool at their disposal to stop people dying. This means supporting services across the country and rolling out a full, nationwide network of drug testing and safer consumption facilities- centres that are proven to keep people safe and present new pathways for treatment and recovery.”
- Angela Constance’s speech to parliament is elsewhere in this issue of The Democrat.
Meanwhile, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today said that the SNP government is leaving our health system to suffer after a damning series of findings published in a new survey.
The Scottish Health Survey found that in 2023:
- Almost a third of adults (32%) were living in obesity- the highest level in the time series.
- More than a third of adults (34%) reported difficulties when visiting the dentists- up from 20% in 2019 and 23% in 2021. These difficulties include getting a suitable appointment, dental treatment being too expensive and not being able to get dental treatment under the NHS.
- 10% of adults reported feeling lonely ‘most’ or ‘all of the time’, with adults aged 16-24 and those living in the most deprived areas the most likely to report feeling like this.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “These concerning findings should be a wake-up call to SNP ministers.
“People face a variety of healthcare challenges, from obesity to mental health to getting seen by a dentist. These challenges mirror the pressures facing our NHS, with staff stretched dangerously thin day after day.
“I want to see the Scottish Government adopting practical steps to bring down rising levels of obesity, such as supporting people in making informed choices to dodge junk food and take up exercise.
“My party have also set out plans to tackle the continuing crises in both mental health and dentistry. By delivering more support for staff, we can make sure everyone gets the care they need fast.”