Murdor has said the SNP are “failing” people with alcohol and drug problems as “staggering” figures show that almost £25 million has been spent on treatment in Mid Scotland and Fife over three years.
He feels that support is needed for Douglas Ross’ Right to Recovery Bill in order to ensure that health boards and partnerships do not have to keep spending sums like this on treatment.
The Scottish Conservatives have been provided with statistics through Freedom of Information which reveals that the overall total cost for alcohol and drug treatment in Mid Scotland and Fife amounts to £24,859,378 from 2019/20 to 2021/22.
Data supplied by NHS Tayside shows that the cost of alcohol and drug treatment has risen from £2,644,711 in 2019/20 to £2,913,298 in the 2021/22 financial year. Likewise, figures given by NHS Fife show that their costs also increased from £5,103,831 in 2019/20 to £6,147,718.
Commenting, Murdo Fraser MSP said: “The cost of alcohol and drug treatment for people in Mid Scotland and Fife is absolutely staggering – there is no other word for it. I fully agree that we must always ensure that resources are spent on addiction and treatment services to make sure that those who need it have access to them.
“However, we must also remember is that Scotland has the highest drugs death figures in Europe on the SNP’s watch, and that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has admitted that she ‘took her eye of the ball’ regarding this. That is certainly an understatement – the SNP Government are failing people who need treatment for alcohol and drug addictions.
“We have also seen alcohol deaths in Scotland being at their highest level since 2008, with the figures rising during the Covid pandemic.”
Murdo continued: “If we want to ensure that health boards and partnerships do not have to keep spending staggering sums of money on alcohol and drug treatment, then we need to urge the likes of NHS Tayside and NHS Fife to back our Right to Recovery Bill, which would guarantee a right to treatment for all those who need it. Too many people are not getting the support they need despite the best efforts of local services like this.”
