GAINS SEEN FOR ADDICTS

A review of drug services would bring better treatments, two Southland
District Health Board advisory committees were told.

Paul Rout, of the South Island Shared Service Agency, told the committees
at a joint meeting in Invercargill on Tuesday the review should be
finalised by February.

The review was commissioned by the South Island regional mental health
network on behalf of its six southern health boards.

It was partly prompted by changes in the type of patients wanting help with
their addictions.

Many were turning up with much more severe disorders than previously and
the complexity of the cases was greater, Mr Rout said.

District health boards had also reported a higher need in the community
with poorer social support networks. The numbers of women, young people and
Maori seeking help had also increased and the use of other drugs was rising.

Nearly 20 beds would be lost next month at the Queen Mary Hospital at
Hanmer Springs. But eight more staff would deliver community services.

Key strategies likely to be confirmed in the review were:

To increase family participation and offer more support for families.

To increase the number of intensive outpatient programmes and make
short-term residential programmes more available.

To trial weekend or weekday intensive treatment retreats, which might suit
smaller health boards.

To develop a regional residential youth service.

To improve the responsiveness of services to Maori and extend kaupapa Maori
services.

To develop dedicated outpatient services for women.

To reduce waiting times for methadone by shifting responsibility away from
hospitals.