Time to end rehab postcode lottery

Residential centre boss’ appeal Services must be better targeted

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THE ISSUE of residential rehab for drug addicts has become an important debate amid Scotland's drug death crisis.

A Right to Recovery Bill was rejected by the Scottish Parliament.

Slashed rehab budgets previously led to many Scots who were desperate to make the step toward drug-free lives being turned away.

The Scottish Government's five-year National Mission to reverse the deaths - which is drawing to a close - made far more funds available, with more people getting access to residential care.

Arguments still persist about an ongoing postcode lottery on treatment and how best to spend new funding.

Here, bosses of two big residential rehab providers - Phoenix Futures and Abbeycare - tell MARK McGIVERN the five-year National Mission, which brought £250million funding over five years, has improved the prospects for many Scots.

But they both believe delivery can be enhanced.

THE boss of Abbeycare has greeted major improvements with access - but slammed the postcode lottery that persists.

CEO Paul Bowley acknowledges that debate exists about state funding for rehab.