Pioneering approach lands top award for Dumfries and Galloway’s Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service
21.12.2023 - 08:13
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A pioneering approach to substance misuse has won Dumfries and Galloway’s Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service a top national award.
The honour presented at the Scottish Healthcare Awards is further recognition of the advances the service has made in providing people who use drugs with safer alternatives.
Hailing the presentation of the Management of Substance Dependency accolade, service manager Jackie Aindow said: “This award is recognition of the vision, efforts, ambitions, work and resolve actioned by our staff each day every single day. I am so proud that staff and the service have received the recognition they deserve for all of their hard work.”
Jackie added: “There is no doubt that the last couple of years have been challenging for the service, with a lot of changes around staffing and the new initiatives and developments we have had to make in the way we work.
“Each and every member of staff within the service has played an important part in achieving this award.”
Staff attended a glittering ceremony at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel, where Dr Pedro Larisma and Samantha Nairn, senior clinical pharmacist in substance misuse, accepted the award on behalf of the service.
In May 2021, the Scottish Government issued new standards in order to try and reduce the incidence of drug related death and harm within Scotland.
The Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards aim to improve access, choice and care for people who experience drug problems across Scotland.
Jackie said: “Since the introduction of new standards, we have moved much more to a recovery oriented, person-centered model rather than what was previously a largely medical model of care, treatment and support.
“Some of the changes that had to be made to