Glasgow’s consumption room, The Thistle, has been used 1,067 times by more than 140 people since it opened in January, according to the city’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).
Nursing staff at the facility – the first ever in the UK – have supervised ‘more than 700 injecting episodes, with people injecting cocaine, heroin, or both’ HSCP says. There have also been a number of medical emergencies, it adds, with ambulance support required on some occasions. ‘People using the service who experienced a medical emergency have recovered and been provided with further harm reduction and support from the team,’ it states.
The facility, which is open every day and is backed by £2m annual government funding, also provides blood-borne virus testing, shower and laundry facilities, and other services. ‘Wound care is the most frequent intervention on site,’ says HSCP.
‘We are really pleased with how things are going at this early stage,’ said city convener for addiction services, Cllr Allan Casey. ‘The Thistle is a new service, unique to Scotland. It is reassuring to know how well it’s running and it’s reaching the population it hoped to. The team have saved lives and are helping greater numbers of people than we ever expected to in the first seven weeks of opening. There is no denying how much of a difference The Thistle is making to the lives of those using it. Lives have been saved, people who have felt marginalised and distant from support are engaging with staff and the early feedback from service users and wider partners is positive.’