Calls for more action as drug-related hospital stays hit record levels

D r u g - r e l a t e d a d m i s s i o n s to S cotland’s hospitals have quadrupled over the past 20 years to the highest rate on record, figures have shown.

According to NHS Scotland statistics, hospital stays due to drugs have gone up from 51 to 199 per 100,000 people over the past two decades, and have shown “a sharper increase” in recent years.

T h e r e we r e 10, 5 0 9 d r u g - related general acute hospital stays in Scotland in 2017-18, of which 1,791 were because of overdoses or poisoning.

The figures led to calls for radical action to tackle S cotl a n d ’s d r u g s c r i s i s , w i t h around 1,000 people expected to die from drug-related deaths this year.

Heroin and opioids were the most common cause of hospital admissions, accounting for 58 per cent of drug-related stays, while about half of the total involved people who live in the most-deprived parts of Scotland.

Almost a third (31 per cent) o f a d mi s s i o n s f o r p a t i e n t s b e t we e n 1 5 t o 2 4 ye a r s o l d involved cocaine and 28 per cent were due to cannabisbased drugs.

Dav i d L i d d e l l , c h i e f exe c - u t ive o f t h e S c o t t i s h Dr u g s Forum, said: “These figures are of great concern. It highlights ver y clearly the need for greater and targeted interventions with this population both within the hospital setting and in the communit y, which can reduce unplanned hospital admissions.

“In addition to the older population, there is a worr ying trend in increasing admission rates for general acute/psychiatric patients aged 15-24 years. This is linked to cocaine and also the use of cannabinoids.”

S cottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex ColeH a mi l t o n s a i d : “T h e r e h a s been a devastating increase in drug-related hospital stays and deaths in recent ye ars. T h e s i t u a t i o n c o n t i n u e s t o deteriorate and this should compel the Scottish Government to go further.”

Scottish Conservative public health spokeswoman Annie Wells said: “Over the last 12 years, the SNP government has failed abysmally to tackle S cotland’s problems with drugs. As a result, thousands o f v u l n e r a b l e p e o p l e h ave been let down and communities have been savaged by the continual scourge of drugs on our streets.”

Public health minister Joe Fitzpatrick said: “We’re taking for ward evidence -based actions and examining how services can evolve to ensure they find those people most in need. This renewed focus has been backed by additional investment of £20 million in drug and alcohol treatment and support services and will be used to improve the provision and quality of services.”