Health Committee chairperson and Foyle MLA Maeve McLaughlin
SINN Féin Foyle MLA and chair of the Assembly’s Health Committee Maeve McLaughlin has received confirmation from the Western Trust (WHSCT) that a Detox Unit will be operational from January 2016.
The chair of the Assemblys health committee said “I am pleased to have received confirmation from the Western Trust (WHSCT) that a Detox Unit will be operational in Omagh from January.
“It will be an eight bed in patient unit that will be operational 24/7 .
“This is good news for Western Trust and the North West region and is less than an hour’s journey from Derry.”
She added: “Whilst we welcome this news it is of paramount importance that we all continue the work around early intervention.
“I firmly believe as we move forward that we need a crisis intervention model in the city similar to Nightingale project in Belfast and we will take this forward through the NW addiction Taskforce.
“Addiction issues cost the health service £250 million a year and we must be exploring new and innovative ways of tackling it.And its very important we must not forget to mention the human cost to individuals, families, communities and society itself.”
