Councillors back motion to improve rehab
ACALL to make more drug rehab services available and improve funding to allow people to access them has been approved by Glasgow City Council.
Members of all four political parties on the council backed a motion that called for more action to tackle the city’s shocking drug death total.
The motion was centred on a report by recovery charity Faces and Voices of Recovery ( Favor), titled Blueprint To Save Lives.
The report issued six recommendations in the wake of the latest drug death figures earlier this year.
Among the action it called for was a “clear definition of a residential rehab place” as the group is concerned about “pretend rehab places” that it says are in fact stabilisation or detox services.
It asks for guidelines to ensure mental health support is provided alongside the drug treatment services and for waiting times statistics to be published to show how long people take to access rehab services.
The motion proposed by Conservative councillor Thomas Kerr and agreed by all parties stated the council has a key role in supporting people in their recovery from substances.
It said the recommendations in the Favor report should be considered when planning alcohol and drug policies.
It also welcomed the aims of the Right to Recovery Bill, written with Favor and proposed at the Scottish Parliament by Conservative leader Douglas Ross.
The SNP, Labour and the Greens came together to agree on a motion.
The council agreed that the Bill, if passed by MSPs at Holyrood, must come with enough funding to ensure people can access services.
Councillor Kerr said he was “delighted” the motion was passed.
He said: “Thank you to colleagues from across the political groups for working together. It’s now over to Holyrood to act.”
Last year was another record year for drug deaths in Glasgow with 311 people dying in 2021, up from 291 the year before.
Last month, a Scottish Government fund for drug rehabilitation services opened for organisations to apply. The Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme ( RRRCP) fund is part of the additional £ 100 million announced as part of the Scottish Government’s National Mission to improve access to residential rehabilitation, trebling the number of publicly funded places by 2026.
The Scottish Government told the Glasgow Times that in 2026 it wants at least 1000 people to be publicly funded for their placement.
It said: “This will be achieved through an increase in placements in existing residential rehabilitation services as well as any new services funded through the RRRCP.”
It stated its numbers on beds and its targets for future provision.
It said: “In 2021, 425 residential rehabilitation beds were recorded in Scotland.
“Our investment in four RRRCP projects already under way will provide a combined total increase of 85 beds by 2025/ 26, boosting the current rehab capacity in Scotland from 425 to 510 beds, which is an increase of 20%.
“This new round of RRRCP will further support our target of 650 beds by 2025/ 26.”