Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Ninewells seeing more drugs cases
MORE than nine people a week were treated at Ninewells Hospital in the last year because of drug misuse, the Tele can reveal.
Statistics released by NHS Tayside show the number was the highest it’s been in any of the past four years.
More younger people were among those discharged in the last 12 months.
In total, there were 485 general acute inpatient and day case discharges in 2017-18 for patients who had taken drugs, up from 464 the previous year.
In 2015-16 there were 431 and in 2014-15 the number was 466.
When it is broken down into ages, the number of under-20s and 21 to 24-yearolds were both at the highest level they have been in the four years.
There were also more 35 to 39-yearolds, 45 to 49-year-olds and 50 to 54-year-olds treated for drug taking too, compared with previous years.
The figures have come to light at a time when drug misuse has come under close scrutiny in Dundee.
Last week, t he Tele told how a staggering 72 people were killed by drugs in the city in the last 12 months — the highest reported figure in living memory.
North East region Scottish Conservative MSP Bill Bowman, who is based in Dundee, said his party had called for a “sector-led review” into drug misuse in the city.
He added: “Dundee’s drug use and death rate is both a national outrage and a tragedy.
‘‘Behind every one of these deaths is a human being who had a number of opportunities where a sad end could have been averted.
“Scotland now has the highest drug death rate in the EU.”
NHS Tayside director of public health, Dr Drew Walker, said: “We would expect to see these small fluctuations from year to year as the data refers to episodes of treatment rather than individuals.
‘‘It includes people who require multiple admissions or treatments.
“It is also important to note these figures relate only to Ninewells and do not include data for all of our sites which would be necessary in order to give an accurate comparison of annual figures.
‘‘It may be more individuals from Angus or Perth and Kinross have attended Ninewells than in previous years.”
See also Your View on page 17.