One in 150 addicts get access to a rehab bed

SCOTLAND is in the grip of a drug recovery crisis as analysis reveals just one in 150 addicts have access to a rehab bed.

More than 1,300 fatalities linked with illicit substance misuse were recorded north of the Border in 2020 – at least five times higher than the rate in England and Wales and the worst rate in the EU.

Yet an investigation by this newspaper has found that across the country, there are just 418 rehabilitation beds to help Scotland’s 60,000 addicts beat the habit.

For those able to secure a bed, more than 85 per cent have to pay for treatment costs of around £1,500 a week on their own, either through charitable funding, private health insurance, out of their own pockets or using housing benefit.

In 2019 and 2020, the Scottish Government only funded 152 bed placements, around 13 per cent of all treatment plans, leaving almost 1,000 people to self-fund or find other funding streams.

Last night, a leading addiction charity called on the Scottish Government to ‘stop talking and take action’ as the drug deaths crisis continued to deepen.

Annemarie Ward, of Favor Scotland said: ‘Rehab centres need to be opened all over Scotland now, to give people the opportunity to get well and get off drugs, so they can rebuild their lives. We believe there are only around 50 fully funded beds from Alcohol and Drug Partnerships across the country.

‘Far too many people who want to get off drugs simply can’t get the treatment they need.’

Scottish Conservative drug spokesman Sue Webber MSP said: ‘The severe shortage of NHS funded rehab beds is a critical component of Scotland’s broader drug deaths crisis.’

Analysis by this newspaper showed that in Glasgow, which recorded 291 drug deaths last year – the highest in any Scots council area – there are just 145 treatment beds available. In Dundee City, which last year recorded the highest per capita rates of drug deaths, there are just 12 beds.

The Scottish Government admitted that most residential rehab stints were ‘self-funded’, with 421 people treated this way.

Meanwhile, 252 people used private healthcare to cover costs of private in-patient treatment, which can start at around £3,600 a week.

The remaining 319 placements were paid for by charitable funds, local authority grants from the rest of the UK or housing benefit.

Last week, Scotland was again named the drug deaths capital of Europe, with 2020 figures showing there were 1,339 people who died of overdoses or complications.

The Scottish Government said it had pledged an extra £100 million to expand rehabilitation facilities.

A spokesman added: ‘The Drug Deaths Taskforce has funded more than 30 innovative projects and ten research projects to reduce harm, and supported another 85 projects through direct Alcohol and Drug Partnership funding.’

‘Far too many can’t get the treatment they need’