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Drug Matters: Drugs Matter
29th October 2007

Arranged almost 6 months previously, Monday 29 October finally arrived and we were off to our Reception at the House of Commons, hosted by Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East.

25 supporters left from Bristol with us by coach, while a further 25 met us in London. Supporters included local businesses, magistrates, senior police officers, National Treatment Agency staff, a key local GP Dr Tom Smyth, our partner drug agencies, Nilaari and HAWKS, and people who use our services. This really was a demonstration of the broad-based support generated for our campaign to get a fairer share of funding for drug treatment in Bristol.

At 4pm all 50 supporters were assembled in Dining Room B at the House of Commons to raise awareness among MP's across the South West about the inequitable share of Government health funding allocated to Bristol and to most of the South West. John Prior, Chair of the Council of Management of BDP welcomed our supporters; Maggie Telfer OBE, Director of BDP reminded people why we were there: Bristol has the 3rd highest number of people in England receiving drug treatment, but receives the 5th smallest amount of money per person and this inequitable funding arrangement is shared by 13 of 15 Drug Action Teams in the South West. She welcomed the extra monies allocated to Bristol for 2006/07 but was clear that this must not be a 'one off': now data is available about the number of people in treatment in each area, money must now be re-distributed to meet need.

The Minister of Health and Government Minister for the South West region, Ben Bradshaw MP, then spoke, followed by 2 South West MPs, Kerry McCarthy, Bristol East and Liam Fox, Woodspring (North Somerset). Kerry has been a key supporter of BDP's campaign to get a fairer share of funding for Bristol and stressed her continuing support for this issue while Liam spoke as a former GP about the wider health and community impact of drug misuse and the fact that this is not a party political issue.

Unexpectedly, Paul Hayes, the Chief Executive of the National Treatment Agency then asked to say a few words and announced a 3 year timetable for ensuring re-distribution of government health funding so that each area will get the same amount of funding per head of person receiving treatment for their drug problem. He later told the Evening Post, which has been supporting our Drug Matters: Drugs Matter campaign: "By 2010/11 Bristol should receive the same per head as everywhere else. We will be taking resources from areas we believe are dramatically over funded and giving them to areas that are under funded."

BBC Bristol Points West who were filming BDP's visit to the House of Commons then broadcast the news of the promised increase in funding live from outside Westminster. We await a response to a Parliamentary question asked by Liam Fox MP following our event, confirming the announcement.

Maggie Telfer OBE said "clearly we made great progress towards achieving the aim of our Drug Matters: Drugs Matter campaign on the 29 th October at the House of Commons. The NTA pledge to redistribute government health funding to ensure the same level of funding per person in drug treatment across England by 2011 shows that our case for change was not only heard, but has been acted on.   Although there is a long way to go, as we have yet to hear the Health funding announcements for 2008/09, and there is uncertainty about other funding for drug treatment in the city, the 29 th October was indeed a very positive day for people with a drug problem, their families and the wider Bristol community. We are indebted to all those, from all corners of Bristol, who supported us.