INSPIRING BARRY
Letters to the Editor
Oldham Chronicle
May 4, 2004
INSPIRING BARRY
Letters to the Editor
Oldham Chronicle
May 4, 2004
I write to add my voice in support of Chronicle Comment praising Oldham's Barry Haslam (April 27). Barry is truly a remarkable man with a remarkable family.
His legacy so far, is not only the pioneering teatment service to be introduced in Oldham, where thanks are due to Gail Richards and her primary care trust team as well. The repercussions will benefit the whole country and beyond.
Almost daily, Barry and his team contact me at Westminster to push for better services and to highlight the problems. The latest breakthrough is the improvement to the Disability Handbook, which lays out the rules on benefit entitlement which will help thousands of benzodiazepine addicts.
I could list many more achievements by the campaign. In the future, the rest of the country will follow Oldham's lead on treatment and awareness of tranquilliser addiction.
Two people have highlighted this problem above all others - in the 1980s it was Esther Rantzen who had all the powerful backing of the BBC and now it is Barry Haslam who has a word processor, a supportive wife and sheer determination.
Phil Woolas MP,
Deputy Leader,
House of Commons
See also:
Media Archive · Beat The Benzos Campaign
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