HOSPITALS IN BATTLE TO HALT INVASION OF DRUG DEALERS

Police sniffer dogs are the last line of defence as cannabis spreads
throughout wards

Sniffer dogs are being used on psychiatric wards across England to
root out drug-dealing, which is becoming rife among patients.

In a sign of a new 'zero-tolerance' attitude emerging in the NHS,
local mental health managers have started to call in police with dogs
to combat the problem. It is believed that around half the mental
health trusts in the country have to contend with local drugs dealers
who operate in and around hospitals.

In the past decade, the amount of illegal substances, particularly
cannabis, available on psychiatric wards has rocketed. Sometimes the
drugs are sold in hospital grounds, but researchers have found they
are also sold on wards as it is hard for staff to prevent patients or
friends coming in and out. It is also impossible for them to search
people they suspect may be carrying illegal drugs. Some staff worry
that they are breaching patient confidentiality if they call police to
tackle the problem.

Cannabis is used by many schizophrenics as a relaxant, but it can
trigger hallucinations and paranoia, making their experiences far more
frightening. Psychiatrists also find it much harder to treat
successfully patients who are psychotic or schizophrenic if they are
regularly smoking joints.

Sniffer dogs are the latest weapon used on some psychiatric wards at
Tameside General Hospital in Greater Manchester, where managers worked
with the local police drug team. 'The presence of sniffer dogs was a
signal to people that, if they used drugs, there was a strong
likelihood they would get caught,' said Noel Tracey, one of the
trust's managers. 'There have been no charges for 12 months and we
haven't found drugs in the last three random searches.'

Staff who work on the wards feel more supported by the introduction of
dog patrols, according to the South Essex Partnership Trust. 'These
are nice, cuddly dogs, a springer spaniel and a golden retriever. When
they finish their sniffing work the patients get a chance to pet
them,' said assistant director Neil West.

But Marjorie Wallace, director of campaigning charity Sane, believes a
laissez-faire culture, which has put patients' rights above the need
to keep wards safe, has led to the problems. 'There is barely a unit I
have visited where drug-dealing isn't rife. It hardly existed 10 years
ago, but now the problem is distorting all services. Cannabis worsens
the acute symptoms of mental illness, and makes the wards much more
intimidating. For too long, this problem has been swept under the carpet.'

She believes that for cultural reasons staff often turn a blind eye.
Some see it as a patient's right to relax or enjoy themselves.

Another problem is that many of the dealers have been patients
themselves and some are psychotic and need help, so cannot be turned
away from care. The violence and verbal abuse on wards, exacerbated by
drugs, makes it difficult for psychiatrists to admit other patients,
for example women with serious depression.

The Department of Health is preparing to issue new guidelines soon to
doctors and staff on dealing with drug misuse. This will include
giving nurses and doctors training on how to tackle a patient with
drugs on them. Other measures taken by hospitals include the planting
of prickly bushes underneath the hospital windows, so that dealers
cannot hand over their drugs from the outside.

On Wednesday, the Commons will be asked to approve government plans to
reclassify cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug, so police will
no longer arrest people who have it in their personal possession. Some
campaigners say this will lead to a rising number of young people with
mental problems caused by the drug.