Notes from APPGITA meeting with Anne Milton MP, Public Health Minister.
5.15pm on 13th December 2011 at Richmond House
Present:
APPGITA – Jim Dobbin MP, Eric Ollerenshaw MP, Earl of Sandwich, David Park.
DoH – Ann Milton MP, Chris Heffer, Yemi Fagun, +1.
Key points:
- Jim Dobbin opened the meeting by thanking the Minister for her time as it was important to catch up before the end of the year. He explained that the group was up to speed with the current consultation process.
- Lord Sandwich set the scene by reading a letter from his relative, setting out the pain and frustration of those addicted to prescribed drugs. The Minister thanked him for sharing his relative’s experiences, which are shared by so many others.
- Chris Heffer said a huge amount has happened in the past which has led to where we are now. We need to focus on preventing the situation from occurring again in future and also work out how best to support those suffering from addiction now.
- Eric Ollerenshaw raised the issue of the terms of reference used for the reports into drug addiction. John Perrot had made an FOI request which showed the original terms of reference were much closer to what APPGITA had hoped for but they then appeared to have been watered down.
- The Minister asked Chris Heffer for his view. He said he remembered signing off the FOI release and knew the document concerned. It was part of an initial scoping exercise for the report (what he called phase 1) and they were ideas for some of the issues that needed to be address. Now the reports had been written (phase 2) and a third phase of reviewing the conclusions of the reports and following up on key points via the round table meetings had commenced. The reports were not the end of the process.
- The Minister said she understood why those addicted to prescription drugs felt so angry at the injustice of their situation and she was determined to do what she could to prevent it happening again in the future and to ensure proper support is provided.
- Jim Dobbin said he agreed on the need to look to the future. He urged the Minister to keep an eye on the particular substances being made and prescribed by drug companies. He also stated that the group wanted to see more of a support mechanism in place for sufferers and that we needed to see more supported withdrawal programmes. The Minister said that her Department was working on that.
- Jim Dobbin said he agreed with the actions identified at the Round Table meeting of 15th September, which had been circulated around the group.
- Jim Dobbin asked the Minister if she had met Professor Ashton. Chris Heffer replied that the Minister was due to meet her after Christmas. He said he himself had met her a couple of years ago.
- Lord Sandwich asked if there was a category of specialist ‘withdrawal’ nurse. He stressed the need for enough staff to be properly qualified to deal with those suffering withdrawal symptoms from benzos.
- The Minister said there was general training for dealing with addiction but did not specify there were specialist staff to deal with benzo addiction. She went on to say that on taking office she had expected to be dealing with the problems of cocaine and heroin addiction but the scale of problem with prescribed drugs had surprised her.
- Jim Dobbin said one of the major problems was the medical profession. They needed to be gently told to change their ways. The Minister responded ‘ NOT gently,’ we need to see a change.
- Jim Dobbin asked where services for addiction, withdrawal treatments etc fitted in to the soon to be new NHS structures. Chris Heffer said prescribing would continue at GP level but oversight and services such as counselling would most likely be funded through local authorities through their public health functions.
- Jim Dobbin said he understood the Minister was going to visit Oldham. Yemi (?) said the Minister was going in June.
- The Minister asked what the Group was focussing on at the present time. Jim Dobbin provided her with a copy of the aims of APPGITA.
- Chris Heffer returned to the subject of local oversight. How can services be made to work locally and how to get your voice heard if your local services are not providing the support you need. He suggested the local Health Watch structure should be used more to flag up failures. The Minister said that as local authorities now have Health and Wellbeing Boards local councillors should also be a point of contact as they will be having a bigger role in oversight of local health services in future.
- Jim Dobbin said sufferers needed to know that the DoH is listening and prepared to do something. The Minister asked her staff to make an action point for a timeline of future work/actions to be created so everyone can see what is being done.
- Eric Ollerenshaw said people needed the DoH to say they recognised there was a problem. The Minister expressed surprise and said she thought she had done so, on the Radio 4 programme. She asked her staff to prepare a joint statement with the RCGP to that effect in the New Year, although the Minister would make a solo statement if needed.
- Lord Sandwich asked if there was more that could be done for sufferers now. They need support. How can we get more people into meetings? Can we not use meeting rooms and staff from those providing support for those addicted to illegal drugs, for instance? The Minister said she was mindful that the two issues of illegal and prescribed drug addiction needed to be kept separate, as there was a stigma attached. She suggested the Group should speak to David Burrowes MP about voluntary group provided schemes and support. Chris Heffer also said that there was currently a single budget for treating both those addicted to illegal drugs and those addicted to prescription drugs. Needed to ensure a more even spread of resources.
Action Points confirmed or requested by the Minister of her staff at the meeting:
1. Meeting Professor Ashton
2. Preparing a timeline of future work and actions
3. Release of a statement confirming there is a problem, preferably with the RCGP
4. Visit to Oldham in June