Primary Care Homeless Addiction Service provision update

In December 2000 Torbay Primary Care Trust agreed to set up a homeless PMS Pilot and invited interested parties to contribute to this process.

Although up to 60 % of Torbay’s homeless hostel dwellers were substance miss-users no treatment provision for them was envisaged. The plans were for a GMS only service.

The Primary Care Addiction Service re drafted the PMS bid to include a holistic approach to the addiction needs of the homeless and proposed an integrated service.

Nothing further was heard until October 2001 when the PCT board invited expressions of interest in the Homeless service.

The Interest of the Primary care addiction service in this remained quite undiminished despite the months of silence. A bid was duly submitted.

The response to this was mixed.

After some months of negotiation as of the 12/2/02 the PCT board has agreed to make a provision for Drug addiction therapy form within the PMS pilot budget.

Rather than a holistic provision from within the GMS pilot, the decision was to bring this service in from the established drug service providers either the Primary Care Addiction service or Shrublands House Drug & Alcohol Service.

We await a meeting with the PMS & Hostel representatives to take this forward so watch this space!?!

S.Cannizzaro 12/2/02