Warning as drug-related admissions on increase

HOSPITAL admissions for drugrelated conditions have risen in Halton over the past year as a recovery charity warns the situation will “undoubtedly worsen”.

UK Addiction Treatment Group (UKAT), which runs a recovery centre in Runcorn, released NHS data showing the number of patients seeking help for drugrelated mental and behavioural disorders across the borough increased from 330 in 2018-19 to 450 in 2019-20 - a jump of about 36%.

The figures for 2020 include the first three months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Halton’s situation was worse than the rest of the North West, which experienced a 4% rise.

And while the average rate of admissions in the region with a diagnosis for drug-related mental or behavioural disorders stood at 268 per 100,000 people, in Halton the rate was lower than that in 2018-19, at 266 per 100,000 people, but had soared to 362 per 100,000 people.

The region’s highest rate was in Blackpool (569) followed by Liverpool

(485), Wigan (420) Wirral (404) and Knowsley (397).

UKAT warned that these figures “are only set to rise” given the challenges of the pandemic.

Some areas, however, experienced reductions in hospital admissions for drugs-related mental and behavioural disorders including Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, St Helens, Stockport and Trafford.

Nuno Albuqurque, UKAT’s group treatment lead, said: “Unfortunately

Nuno Albuqurque, we expect these figures to rise again in the next annual report as the impact of the rest of 2020 and the multiple Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions are included in the analysis.

“What we’re already seeing is that more and more people across the North West are struggling with drugs, which is resulting in increasing pressure on our already stretched NHS as admissions for mental, behavioural, injuries and poisoning by drugs continue to flood in.

“But, imagine how much worse a person’s relationship with drugs may have become during the difficult year of 2020.

“Our North West treatment centre - Oasis Recovery in Runcorn - is operating at almost maximum capacity and admitting clients every day for drug-related disorders.

“All we can ask is that councils across the North West, especially those where the data clearly shows a rise in hospital admissions, choose to invest in effective drug and alcohol treatment strategies this financial year in order to really support those in their communities who are clearly struggling.”