dpw39
26-Oct-06, 12:25
On Line Petition.
Caithness Council on Alcohol:
Further to the article in the Caithness Courier of 25th October (page 5) “Warning over alcohol service”.
I would like to setup a petition to re-instate the Caithness Council on Alcohol , and to get increased funding and get more support from the two parties who have withdrawn the funding involved to increase support the Caithness Council on Alcohol, due to Highland Council and NHS Highland’s decision to withdraw funding for this project.
Over the last few years, in the local press and media, it has been highlighted that there is an “alcohol problem” in rural communities in the Highland region. Even Scottish Executive has highlighted these issues with local TV advertisements. As pointed out in the courier, the Far North, like many other areas in Scotland, is experiencing a rise in alcohol related crime. It is also well known, that most people will turn to alcohol when in a crisis in their live. Unfortunately, alcohol is a depressant, and it will in most cases exacerbate the problems and could lead to addiction in certain circumstances.
The message sent out by NHS Highland and Highland Council, confirms that they are paying “lip-service” to initiatives that are being set-up to help people who have problems with alcohol.
Passing the service over to an under-funded and over-stretched Community mental Health Nursing Service, is pure madness (no pun intended). One in four of us will experience some form of mental ill health in our lives. The NHS has seen some drastic changes since I worked in the system, and we have become a state whereby, there are more private medical insurance cases, and it would seem that the government, local and national has a hidden agenda to eradicate community services such as NHS hospitals, NHS dentist’s etc.
We have all contributed to the service over the years and due to mis-management and “too many Chiefs and not enough Indian’s” locally and nationally do we find ourselves in this terrible state of affairs.
Certain sources have stated that even senior members of the Community Mental Health Team, are leaving and other senior members are considering seeking other employment areas because of certain issues especially in the Highlands. I was informed quite recently from a source within Beachwood Highland that they offered to take over the services of the alcohol project but where refused by the powers that be. What type of message does this send out to sufferer’s of alcohol addiction and places an over-stretched community mental health service to experience serious problems. They themselves (C.M.H.T. members) are in no position to complain as their jobs are at risk and they would leave themselves open to disciplinary action as well as possible dismissal due to highlighting issues of concern within the service.
I have been informed that the C.M.H.T. have a strict criteria when assessing prospective clients with regards to alcohol issues, and a lot of people would not fall into their criteria therefore allowing them to slip farther down into their addiction, and also as I highlighted in the courier, the stigma of seeing a CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) for an alcohol problem, would either stop the prospective client seeing the team, as well as placing more pressure on the services for people of mental ill health.
When we can afford to pay our community councillors £20k per annum, but on the other hand withdraw £8,000 funding for what is seen as a worthwhile and needed service locally, beggar’s belief.
Whoever is responsible for decisions of this nature at Highland Council and NHS Highland should have disciplinary action taken against them for gross mis-management of resources for the good of the community. We need to be more caring in our communities, and to get away from this so-called “cost effective” service that is trying to be put into place regarding others less fortunate than ourselves. One day, it may be us who are in that position that requires the support and help that should be in place as a basic human right.
Since being founded, the NHS has been envied by many counties round the world and has been a flag-ship which highlights the good for the community and society as a whole. Now it just epitomises all that is wrong with the running of the service and places excellent staff to either suffer from stress and bad working conditions when at the end of the day they are of a caring nature and believe in the NHS principle – free health for all.
Vote on-line here at Caithness.org or contact Highland Council/NHS Highland direct and let your views known by strongly expressing your views and concerns over this very important issue, let Caithness be heard.
Chief Executive Officer Highland Council:
Arthur McCourt
Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX
Tel: 01463 702838 Fax: 01463 702830
Email chief.executive@highland.gov.uk
Chief Executive Officer NHS Highland:
Dr Roger Gibbons
Assynt House,
Beechwood Park,
Inverness, IV2 3HG.
01463 717123 or 01463 704838
Roger.gibbons@hhb.scot.nhs.uk
Ciao,
Dpw39
Caithness Council on Alcohol:
Further to the article in the Caithness Courier of 25th October (page 5) “Warning over alcohol service”.
I would like to setup a petition to re-instate the Caithness Council on Alcohol , and to get increased funding and get more support from the two parties who have withdrawn the funding involved to increase support the Caithness Council on Alcohol, due to Highland Council and NHS Highland’s decision to withdraw funding for this project.
Over the last few years, in the local press and media, it has been highlighted that there is an “alcohol problem” in rural communities in the Highland region. Even Scottish Executive has highlighted these issues with local TV advertisements. As pointed out in the courier, the Far North, like many other areas in Scotland, is experiencing a rise in alcohol related crime. It is also well known, that most people will turn to alcohol when in a crisis in their live. Unfortunately, alcohol is a depressant, and it will in most cases exacerbate the problems and could lead to addiction in certain circumstances.
The message sent out by NHS Highland and Highland Council, confirms that they are paying “lip-service” to initiatives that are being set-up to help people who have problems with alcohol.
Passing the service over to an under-funded and over-stretched Community mental Health Nursing Service, is pure madness (no pun intended). One in four of us will experience some form of mental ill health in our lives. The NHS has seen some drastic changes since I worked in the system, and we have become a state whereby, there are more private medical insurance cases, and it would seem that the government, local and national has a hidden agenda to eradicate community services such as NHS hospitals, NHS dentist’s etc.
We have all contributed to the service over the years and due to mis-management and “too many Chiefs and not enough Indian’s” locally and nationally do we find ourselves in this terrible state of affairs.
Certain sources have stated that even senior members of the Community Mental Health Team, are leaving and other senior members are considering seeking other employment areas because of certain issues especially in the Highlands. I was informed quite recently from a source within Beachwood Highland that they offered to take over the services of the alcohol project but where refused by the powers that be. What type of message does this send out to sufferer’s of alcohol addiction and places an over-stretched community mental health service to experience serious problems. They themselves (C.M.H.T. members) are in no position to complain as their jobs are at risk and they would leave themselves open to disciplinary action as well as possible dismissal due to highlighting issues of concern within the service.
I have been informed that the C.M.H.T. have a strict criteria when assessing prospective clients with regards to alcohol issues, and a lot of people would not fall into their criteria therefore allowing them to slip farther down into their addiction, and also as I highlighted in the courier, the stigma of seeing a CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) for an alcohol problem, would either stop the prospective client seeing the team, as well as placing more pressure on the services for people of mental ill health.
When we can afford to pay our community councillors £20k per annum, but on the other hand withdraw £8,000 funding for what is seen as a worthwhile and needed service locally, beggar’s belief.
Whoever is responsible for decisions of this nature at Highland Council and NHS Highland should have disciplinary action taken against them for gross mis-management of resources for the good of the community. We need to be more caring in our communities, and to get away from this so-called “cost effective” service that is trying to be put into place regarding others less fortunate than ourselves. One day, it may be us who are in that position that requires the support and help that should be in place as a basic human right.
Since being founded, the NHS has been envied by many counties round the world and has been a flag-ship which highlights the good for the community and society as a whole. Now it just epitomises all that is wrong with the running of the service and places excellent staff to either suffer from stress and bad working conditions when at the end of the day they are of a caring nature and believe in the NHS principle – free health for all.
Vote on-line here at Caithness.org or contact Highland Council/NHS Highland direct and let your views known by strongly expressing your views and concerns over this very important issue, let Caithness be heard.
Chief Executive Officer Highland Council:
Arthur McCourt
Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX
Tel: 01463 702838 Fax: 01463 702830
Email chief.executive@highland.gov.uk
Chief Executive Officer NHS Highland:
Dr Roger Gibbons
Assynt House,
Beechwood Park,
Inverness, IV2 3HG.
01463 717123 or 01463 704838
Roger.gibbons@hhb.scot.nhs.uk
Ciao,
Dpw39