A deal for the delivery of treatment for drug and alcohol misuse in Trafford has been extended until 2025 at a cost of £4.3million to the authority. Trafford is one of four local authorities, along with Salford, Bury and Bolton, which has a contract with Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust (GMMH) for such services.
The five-year agreement struck in 2018 is due to expire in January 2023 and has cost the councils a total of nearly £8.7million a year. Now, Trafford has opted to continue its part of the agreement until March 31 2025.
Drug and alcohol misuse services in the three authorities operate under the brand name "Achieve". The service brings together NHS providers with voluntary groups to offer support, treatment and advice to adults and young people on substance misuse.
Partners include Early Break; Great Places Housing; THOMAS Recovery Housing; The Big Life Group; Thinking Skills; Salford CVS and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. A report from Councillor Jane Slater, executive member for health wellbeing and equalities, highlighted Dame Carol Black's review which prompted the Government to publish its 10 Year Drugs Strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’ in December last year.
She said it "focused on prevention, treatment and recovery from drug addiction and advocated the need for a whole system approach to tackling this issue". She went on: "Among its 32 recommendations was the establishment of a new cross-government unit which would link health, treatment and recovery, employment, housing and the criminal justice system."
Coun Slater said that the Trafford system "is well placed" to deliver against its recommendation, as it has "harm at its core". "To effectively deliver against the Government's drugs strategy we will need a whole system approach to prevention, treatment and recovery," she said.
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