The Scottish parliament has released figures which show that there is an incredible delay in meting out medical assistance to patients enrolled for rehabilitation treatment programs under the banner of NHS(National Health Service) Scotland ,causing countless patients stranded and helpless .
Most of the centers earmarked for drug and alcohol de-addiction have pointed out that most of the in- patient wards are empty and that referral rates have dramatically dropped.It has been noted by surveys that the addicts who have come up for treatment but do not find medical intervention immediately without fail slither back to former habits leaving their families under further stress. It has been estimated that about 800 people were waiting for community support and rehabilitation treatment packages under the NHS at the end of March 2006.
The Health Minister, Mary Harney, has been urged to force hospitals to refer public patients to private hospitals which come under the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The NTPF program initiated by the State, had come into action four years ago, and offers to cater for treatment of patients waiting for more than 3 months to receive medical attention by referring them from public hospitals to private hospitals .This should avoid the backlog of patients waiting in public hospitals.
The existing ‘postcode lottery ‘operating in certain areas seem to prevent patients from receiving residential care. However it’s also encouraging to note that several people have enrolled for help from the Services. It’s quite common for patients to face hurdles and delays when approaching support services and often help does not come in at the right time.
Spokespersons representing the NHS have however countered saying that the executive had allocated huge sums to the tune of £66.7m to deal with drugs detoxification plans in 2005-06 out of which £23.7m was sent to health boards specifically to enhance drug treatment services.
Actually more than £3m is estimated to have been pooled in to schemes specifically intended to bring down waiting periods for treatment and rehabilitation .Many a time a warped picture and exaggerated images are conjured up by reported information which may be loaded with anomalies that creep in during data collection, pointed out the spokesperson for NHS. ."
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