WHO IS RIGHT? MITCH WINEHOUSE OR PAUL HAYES?

Still grieving for his daughter Amy, Mitch Winehouse is today meeting politicians and the media to urge that waiting times for rehab be cut – and Keith Vaz MP has called for a formal review of waiting times.

 

“But these services (treatment and recovery) are widely available... more than nine out of 10 patients wait less than three weeks for treatment,” claimed an e-blast today publicising a letter by Paul Hayes, CEO of the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, earning a salary similar to the Prime Minister’s.
Who is right?

 Answer: Mitch Winehouse. Read on to learn why...

On 30 July, health secretary Andrew Lansley accused NHS managers of risking lives by making patients wait longer for treatment in a “cynical” bid to save money. Hayes and the NTA do not seem to be an exception (click on Facts for details):

Fact 1. Only 2% of problem drug users in the ‘treatment’ system manage to get rehab; for too many, the waiting list means until death...
Fact 2. ...or not until you have a stroke, break bones, vomit blood – while in taxpayer-funded (non-rehab) ‘treatment’
Fact 3a, Fact 3b. One of Hayes and the NTA’s core tasks was to reduce death from drugs – but they are far higher now than when the NTA was established, with methadone the second-greatest drug killer
Fact 4. The lack of training to get addicts off drugs long term is exemplified by Dr Richard Watson’s letter in The Times blaming rehabs for deaths such as Amy Winehouse’s – when research shows the deaths he referred to were at the NHS Maudsley run by John Strang, a fact Watson admitted on the PM programme (BBC Radio 4, 26 July 2011)
Facts galore. The Centre for Policy Studies analysed a £3.6billion cost to taxpayers of NTA ‘treatment’ keeping addicts dependent on drugs instead of helping them to quit
 
WILL THIS CRISIS GET BETTER?

Not if the eight payment-by-results drug-treatment pilots get their unilateral way. They are supposed to be templates for good prctice in treating addiction across the country. But, as we predicted, they have spurned both government and the general public, drafting Outcome Measures which exclude drug-free/abstinence targets. More details will be at www.addictiontoday.org by 2 August.

SO FEW ADDICTS ARE REFERRED TO REHAB THAT THEY COULD CLOSE PERMANENTLY

Because only 2% of people ‘in treatment’ are referred to rehab, the centres themselves – most founded and run by people in recovery – could close, with irrecoverable loss of the highest recovery skills in the country.

In a real rehab revolution, these marginalised recoverers are working together as The Concordat, to increase access to rehabs for those who need it, and to relieve addicts’ families from their distress. Graduates from Concordat rehabs are also banding together to campaign for access to rehabs which saved their lives. 

Support the Concordat and Mitch Winehouse’s aim to increase access to lifesaving rehab. Contact Deirdre@addictiontoday.org 

Comments

[Larry Levine]

I was searching for Amy Winehouse (I am a big fan of her music) and this article came up in the search results.

I am a recovering addict, who was successfully treated here in the US down in Palm Beach, FL a few years ago (I live in New Jersey). I am a little scared to think that the US might be heading towards this system of healthcare and drug treatment too.

My best wishes to everyone on your side of the pond who is fighting whatever type of addiction they are suffering from.

[Ruth Halsey]

I know someone who has developed an addiction problem following the death of her father some time ago.She recently went to her GP with her distressed family for help,got no-where and is now paying for private treatment in the Priory - even though her parents can ill afford it.

[Keith Burns]

Deirdre
I fully support the Concordat. It is disgraceful that Hayes is pushing out this claptrap. Clinics are going out of business whilst he twiddles his thumbs.
Keep up the good work.

MD ADMIT Services Ltd.

[Laura]

When people want to go to rehab it is Paul Hayes who says no, no, no!

[Amanda Thomas]

Anyone can manipulate statistics. Maybe Mr Hayes should explain to us all when he considers the waiting time commences? I can introduce him to many individuals who'll describe waiting years to access residential rehab, as their drug workers didn't consider them ready.
You therefore have to question how worthiness for residential care is defined. Clients wanting to access residential rehab are made to prove their motivation and commitment by failing at all other treatment options.
Mr Hayes assertions fail to address how regional variances can also affect access to residential recovery; some commissioners are enlightened about the outcomes and positive effect on the individual, others just view it as expensive with no consideration of long term savings, or for the individual personal, physical, emotional benefits, let alone the benefits for the family

[Lynne Taylor]

Although rehab isn't the option for everyone as there are a few barriers - mental health, disability, children, pets etc - it is one of the best options for a total life changing opportunity. Unfortunately, within the community, there is not enough change and it can be a bit like putting a sticking plaster over the wounds. Until there are decent housing options for everyone in the community the drug problems will remain. Offenders leave prison with nowhere to go apart from other drug users and often the streets. Residential rehab can help ex users address their issues in a safe and supportive environment and with the right aftercare and accommodation people can transform their lives.

[melody]

The problem is, that they are both a little bit right and a little bit wrong. And the reason is… that both sides of the argument or discussion are looking at addiction, drug use, dependency and misuse from an adult perspective. Even people in ‘recovery’ do this… because they look back… not with teen age eyes but with their adult eyes.
The truth is, most young people don’t use drugs and most of those that do, beyond the immediate risk will never have a problem with it, many will only use in episodes which is experimental, most will stop, many will continue to use occasionally, recreationally and with moderation. Of cause there are some young, troubled, traumatised and damaged young people who may continue to use in dangerous, chaotic, dependant and self medicating ways. The difficulty for any young persons drugs worker is trying to work our which is which. The importance of this, is that different interventions are needed for different patterns of use.
I do not think it is useful to talk too early to young people about rehabs….. They see rehabs as somewhere that alcoholics and heroin addicts go. And ‘thankfully’ many of them do not identify themselves as or aspire to be a part of this.
And as many of them are using in the patterns that they use as a form of self medication, sometimes even as self harm the thought of stopping and absinence can be terrifying for them.
However I do believe that there is a need for a residential facility and I prefer the word respite… where some of these young people can go, feel safe, re balance brain chemicals, be away from chaos and the trauma of their lives, have fun!!!! And while they are there their drug use can be looked at and they can begin to identify and make the changes that they need to make.

[Anna Tassell]

The underutilisation of Rehabs is attributable to many factors including poor staff/service awareness and low levels of interest from individuals in treatment. Importantly Tier 4 (rehab) money is managed by Social Services and not local Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATS) who commission community drug treatment services which means the application process is not simple and can be disjointed. This can create a significant wait although where individuals show the motivation to jump through application hoops, access can be within 12-weeks. This timeframe and process may be considered unnecessary by some and by others, an important way to gauge the likelihood of success to avoid setting vulnerable individuals up to fail and avoid public backlash in response to spending a significant amount of money on services which do not result in what is perceived to be successful outcomes. Indeed, an ongoing frustration for me is the fickle media and public response to addiction and treatment. Outrage when services experience funding cuts followed by indignation that ‘addicts’ are getting more money allocated than children’s services or cancer patients!!! Whilst Dr Richard Watson’s letter and subsequent interview was misleading, he made a valid point relating to concerns about rapid detox which can precede access to residential rehab and the overdose risk this poses to individuals. What is unhelpful is headlines such as 'Rehab Kills'!

[simon dean]

I feel that it is too easy to blame drug treatment staff as being resistant. There needs to be a middle way between only rehab and only prescribing services. Substitues prescribing/ harm reduction has resulted in many people who otherwise would be dead still being alive. I feel that it is over emotive to describe this group of individuals as "trapped" in treatment services. Many people need some time in treatmentg to stabalise mentally and physically before entering rehab. Recovery should not simply be about abstinence , but about the whole Journey from chaotic drug use to abstinence. which involves many steps and some people will be unable to make the whole journey. It is important the the system does not exclude such people

[Guillaume]

I hope Mitch Winehouse will continue to find outlets such as yours for his advocacy voice.

[nikki]

Dependency kills, period. You dont have to addicted to drugs/alcohol or a substance. Focus 12 not only saved the life of my now ex boyfriend it also saved mine, his co-dependent. They turned my life around and helped me set out on a journey to find myself and the truth. Everyday I will be grateful to them. Re-hab helps so many more people than the addicts, its importance cannot be ignored if it is society will and is suffering and descending into madness. Politicians need to wake up and start listening to the experts instead fiddling figures and shuffling paper. They are out touch with reality.

[vic]

3 weeks waiting???!!!! My exhusband has been under 'drug services' for 5 years and is getting worse and worse. He has destroyed the family emotionally and financially. I was going to remorgage to get him into the priory but was told by his then consultant not to waste my money. Perhaps if Mr Hayes lived the life of an addicts family for a few months he would not make such ridiculous statements which make the public think help is quickly and easily available. We as the family of an addict have and are still trying every avenue we can find, usually coming up with more help than the so called experts. 3 weeks? what a joke.

[Tara]

I tried to get my brother into rehab 3 years ago, I rung the local council to ask them what my options were and was told that as my brother was just a cocaine addict he would not be rehabilitated free of charge, the woman on the phone quite clearly stated that unless he was a heroin addict they would not be able to do anything and we would have to pay for him to go privately. I am disgusted, we did put my brother into rehab but unfortunately funds are not endless and so he is still a drug addict and we think he has now progressed to crack, I am watching my brother die and no one will do a thing about it. The unfortunate thing is that so many families feel embaressed or ashamed that they have a drug addict in the family that actually the real statistics will never be known, I know for sure that my brother is not on any local register for drug addiction so dont tell me that he wont slip through the net, he has been slipping through for the last 20 years and now at 35 it seems that no one really cares unless he commits a crime or gets himself on heroin, so sad.