Dave Thompson MSP

Following his long-running campaign to secure the future of Beechwood House, a clinic for people whose lives have been blighted by heavy use of alcohol or drugs, Highlands and Islands MSP Dave Thompson was finally allowed to meet representative of the organisations that had taken the decision to close the unit by removing its funding.

On Friday afternoon, Mr Thompson was joined by the unit's chaplain and a former resident, as he attended the meeting but he was disappointed to note that NHS Highland, Highland Council and the Highland Alcohol and Drug Partnership were resolute in their determination to stick by their original decision.

"I am very disappointed that they were not prepared to reconsider their decision, which will mean the closure of this very important facility," the SNP politician said after the meeting.

"I am also concerned that they didn't appear to understand that Beechwood also deals with the important two-week detoxification programme which acts as a bridge between the 24-hour crisis admissions and the centre's rehabilitation work and that this will also be affected by the removal of funding.

"The supporters and I have called for funding to give the unit a six-month reprieve while we seek alternative funding to help put Beechwood and the Designated Place unit on a secure footing.

"However those present at the meeting were determined that this could not happen so I think the only hope for Beechwood now is for some third party to intervene at the last minute to provide funding for six months to a year while efforts are made to find a permanent solution."

Notes:

The Designated Place project at Beechwood was established to give people under the influence of alcohol an alternative place to be accommodated as an alternative to police cells, following a series of death in custody last century.

Last year Highland Council decided to axe £200,000 of funding for the centre's Designated Place facility, which provides emergency accommodation and therapy under well supervised conditions for people whose indulgency in drink or drugs has spiralled out of control.

Many of those admitted to the centre are referred by police and recently the facility was hailed as an example for the rest of Scotland to follow in a report from the Chief Inspector of Constabulary.

The loss of this local authority funding for the Designated Places (DP) left the CrossReach charity which runs Beechwood House and the DP unit with a cash shortfall and little means of keeping the unit open if this funding could not be replaced.