‘Health funding cuts will lead to deaths’
● Vital partnership could face £2.3m reduction in support as crisis deepens
By DAVID BOL
Proposals to cut more than £2.3 million from drug and alcohol support services across Edinburgh and the Lothians will “contribute to premature deaths”, the region’s top public health consultant has warned.
The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (IJB) will meet today to discuss its “savings and recovery plan”, with a host of cuts identified to reduce a £24m funding deficit by half.
One proposal to be considered is to cut £1.4m of funding from the Scottish Government for the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (EADP), which is yet to be allocated this financial year – as well as a cut of £448,000 for the following two years.
But Dr Duncan Mccormick, public health consultant for NHS Lothian, has written to EADP members and chief officer of the IJB, Judith Proctor, ahead of today’s crunch meeting, calling for all funding to be handed over to the EADP “in its entirety”. The Scottish Government has confirmed that its “full funding” should be given to EADP.
In his letter, Dr Mccormick said: “To date, the IJB has released only a minimal amount of funding to EADP and for subsequent years the amount will be reduced to around £1m. The decision by Edinburgh IJB to reduce the funding to EADP will contribute to decreased access to services and increased rates of harm, including premature death from problematic alcohol and drug use.”
Dr Mccormick also warned some premises in the Scottish capital used for addiction services were “not fit for purpose” and some patients could not receive “essential harm reduction interventions” and “cannot be consulted in rooms that provide adequate privacy or safety”.
Drugs-related deaths are on the increase in the Lothians, with an average of 13 avoidable deaths every month. More than 100 people are admitted to hospital in Edinburgh each month with drug-related issues, while admissions due to serious injection-related infections are also rising.
Miles Briggs, a Lothian MSP and Scottish Conservative health spokesman, said: “The EADP is already one of the most underfunded ADPS in Scotland and further funding cuts could have disastrous consequences.
“Waiting times for vital alcohol and drug treatments across Lothian are already the longest anywhere in Scotland and it would be incredibly irresponsible to make further cuts to the service.”
Green councillor Melanie Main, a member of the IJB, said: “This three-year Scottish Government funding is desperately needed to support some of our most vulnerable residents. It will literally save lives.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Given the significant challenges being faced around substance use, Scottish Government ministers are clear that the full funding provided to NHS boards for allocation to alcohol and drug partnerships should be expended on the provision of ADP services and service supports.”