BARRY INVITES HEALTH MINISTER
Oldham Chronicle
January 29, 2008
HEALTH Minister Dawn Primarolo will be invited to see Oldham's pioneering treatment service for addicts of prescribed drugs.
The service, which began after lobbying from from former tranquilliser addict Barry Haslam from Uppermill, is paid for by the primary care trust.
Set up in 2005, it is run by the Oldham Drug and Alcohol Service working with GPs.
Mr Haslam has recently been appointed Greater Manchester co-ordinator for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Tranquilliser Addiction.
His role is to collate information from the primary care and hospital trusts into how they deal with tranquilliser addiction.
One of his first jobs was to invite Ms Primarolo to see the work being done in Oldham, which is the only English PCT to provide specific services for involuntary drug addicts.
The APPG will be holding an exhibition in the summer, and has been asked to give evidence to Bolton MP Dr Brian Iddon's inquiry into drug misuse.
The Health Select Committee, chaired by Kevin Bacon MP, has also said it will look again at a request from the APPG for an inquiry into involuntary tranquilliser addiction.
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