Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, has raised concerns about waiting times for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) in Lothian, with patients waiting for alcohol and drug treatments having to wait longer than anywhere else in Scotland.
Latest figures for the quarter ending 31st March 2019 showed that Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian, and West Lothian ADPs all missed the 90% target for patients being seen within three weeks for Alcohol and drug treatments.
The Minister for Public Health, Joe FitzPatrick, has given assurances that Improvement Plans are in place and that ADPs in Lothian will reach waiting times targets this year.
For the quarter ending 31st March 2019, 1206 patients were seen by Alcohol and Drug partnerships in Lothian, with 79.4% being seen within the target of three weeks from referral, compared to a 90% standard. This is compared to 79.6% of patients being seen within the three week target for the quarter ending 31st March 2018.
West Lothian is the worst performing out of all ADPs, dropping to 59.9% seen within three weeks, for the quarter ended 31st March 2019, compared to the previous figures of 71.4% of patients being seen within three weeks for quarter ended 31st December 2018.
Waiting times for alcohol and drug treatments have not improved across Lothian ADPs, despite Improvement Plans being in place since the end of last year.
In May this year it was revealed that the number of hospital admissions for drugs in Lothian has been rising over the last decade, with 1,338 hospital admission in 2017/18, compared to 951 in 2007/08, ten years ago.
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said: “It is good that SNP Ministers have implemented an improvement plan for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in Lothian, but the lack of progress is concerning.
“Patients in Lothian are still having to wait significantly longer for alcohol and drug treatments than anywhere else in Scotland, despite the improvement plan being in place since last year.
“If patients waiting times are going to improve it is crucial that there are enough staff for the Alcohol and Drug Partnership to function properly.
“SNP Ministers must ensure that there is appropriate workforce planning so that ADPs in Lothian reduce waiting times on a sustainable basis.”
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