HL Deb 19 July 1967 vol 285 cc356-8WA
LORD SANDFORD

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress there has been to date in setting up the treatment centres for drug addicts called for in Hospital Memorandum (67)16 of 7th March, 1967, and in particular to state (a) the hospitals at which centres are now in operation, indicating in each case whether in-patient and/or out-patient facilities are available; (b) the hours and days of the week during which the centres with out-patient facilities are open; and (c) the number and type of staff set aside to man the centres.

LORD BESWICK

Services in the London area, which is where the main concentration of addicts is believed to be, are still being developed and it would be premature, and against the interests of addicts generally, to publicise the names of the hospitals at present. General practitioners in the areas concerned are of course made aware of the services as they become available.

Certain details of these services were recently given to a doctor to assist him with the treatment of drug addicts; although the disadvantages of publicity were pointed out to him this information has unfortunately been communicated to the Press.

So far, there are 10 hospitals in London providing in-patient treatment for heroin addiction and 13 out-patient treatment. At 6 of the latter a service is available in the casualty department 24 hours a day, at 3 others there is a service 5 days a week, and at the remaining 4 facilities are available less frequently. At most of these hospitals staff are not exclusively concerned with the treatment of addicts, and specific proportions of time are not set aside for each type of patient.

At Birmingham, in-patient and outpatient treatment is provided at All Saints' Hospital where the out-patient department is open from Monday to Friday, 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In the rest of the country in-patient and out-patient treatment is available, if required, in most psychiatric hospitals.

House adjourned at fourteen minutes past eight o'clock.