The UK Addiction Treatment group have said that Lancashire council’s misuse budget has dropped from £19,487,671 in 2013 to £15,599,371 in 2019. This means that the authority has cut alcohol and drug addiction services by £3,888,300 over 6 years. A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “In recent years we have been increasing the use of community rehab services for people with less complex needs to ensure they get the rehabilitation support they need. The placements at rehab centres are now aimed at the more complex cases.” Concerns about the safety of those falling short of this system are growing; Eytan Alexander, Managing Director of UKAT said: “If less money is being spent by local councils on placing those most vulnerable into treatment, then we will undoubtedly see even more public rehabs having been forced to close their doors by this time next year.”
Full article in Lancashire Telegraph, 1 July 2019