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Drugs In The Highlands |
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Behavioural Patterns of Drug Users In Highland |
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4.8. Attitude to services Respondents were asked if they were satisfied with the services provided. Only 3 (3.9%) found the services to be satisfactory, the majority (73, 96.1%) claimed to be dissatisfied. These 73 injectors were then asked how they felt the existing services could be improved. Their responses to a list of options are shown in table 10. Table 10. How existing services could be improved. (N = 73)
Respondents could offer more than one response - Respondents made further suggestions to the options offered. The most common of these were: ‘better attitude by staff towards users’ 34 (46.8%), ‘immediate access to treatment’ 22 (30.1%), ‘take into account personal circumstances’ 16 (21.9%), ‘unreasonable expectations’ 10 (13.7%), ‘more fair system’ 10 (13.7%), ‘supervision of waiting area/individual appointments’ 9 (12.3%). From table 10 it can be seen that many respondents (38, 52%) feel that there is a lack of services in the region and that more are required. Privacy is also presented as a major concern with 29 (39.7%) reporting this. From the table of options and the additional responses offered by the injectors it appears that there are some concerns about the quality of the relationship between themselves and the professionals they are in contact with. Respondents were also asked what services they felt were needed locally. Their responses are shown in table 11. Table 11. Drug services desired locally by dissatisfied respondents (n = 73)
Each respondent could nominate more than one service Of the 63 offering other suggested local services the most common ones were: ‘an Osprey House in their own local area’ (22, 30.1%), ‘drug awareness and education programme’ (5, 6.9%), ‘more places like the Blast project for drug users’ (5, 6.9%) and ‘dispensing of methadone to be more discrete’ (5, 6.9%). From table 11 it appears that over half of those dissatisfied with services believed that there was a lack of counselling facilities (38) and needle exchanges (37) within the Highlands. A sizable group (28) also felt that there was a need for a residential rehabilitation unit and (25) also wished that treatment with methadone be more available. Table 12. Services used by respondents.
Although there may be concerns about the relationship between service users and service providers, table 12 shows that there has been a good uptake of the existing services. Of those making up the option ‘other’, Craig Dunain Hospital was the most popular with 8 (10.5%) having reported having used this service. Belford Hospital’s needle exchange scheme was the other service mentioned with 3 (3.9%) respondents having used this service. Eleven (14.5%) respondents had never received any form of treatment for their drug use. Ten reported that they were aware of services which they could approach if they were to perceive their drug use as becoming problematic. |