The Shadow Minister for Social Justice has called on the Health Minister to provide an urgent update on the future of integrated residential drug and alcohol misuse, detoxification and rehabilitation facilities in Wales.
A critical report dated May 2010, obtained by Mark Isherwood AM, has still not been made public by the Health Minister.
As well as recommending further support for the Rhoserchan facility near Aberystwyth, which has now been attained following Mr Isherwood’s intervention, it also raises concerns regarding bias towards the three Registered Tier 4 providers.
Commenting, Mr Isherwood said: “It is time for this highly critical Welsh Government funded independent report to be made public and properly debated.
“There are issues which must be urgently addressed. Most notably, the report makes reference to biases against Rhoserchan, Brynawel in Llanharran, and CAIS in North Wales.
“It notes such attitudes to be harmful and unprofessional and also states that exclusion of the providers from lists of appropriate residential rehabilitation facilities is unacceptable.
“The report also makes it clear that negative views it has discovered regarding the facilities are ‘damaging and … detrimental to client care.’
“Clients must be able to access Rhoserchan, Brynawel and CAIS but at the moment, it would appear this is not an opportunity openly offered to all.
“This is not the first report regarding these issues that has been supressed by the current Health Minister and later leaked to me.
“These are incredibly hardworking charities that save lives day in, day out and matters relating to them deserve to be debated fully.”
