North-East project boosts capacity.
First Minister has officially opened the
first phase of a new residential rehabilitation service in
Aberdeenshire, which will increase capacity in the North East of
Scotland.
The 27-bed facility, named Rae House and run by Phoenix Futures,
will be followed by a second phase which will consist of 53 units
of housing and therapeutic community ‘Dayhab' in Aberdeen City,
which in total could provide up to 200 placements a year.
In the following phase, the therapeutic community ‘Dayhab' model
will see people living in separate accommodation coming together
for day programmes at a central hub in Aberdeen to help them
address their drug and alcohol use.
Speaking at the official opening, First Minister said:
“We want every person experiencing harm from drug use to be able
access the support they need. Residential rehabilitation is
central to that and we have made £100 million available to
improve access over the course of the Parliament.
“Following our support for Phoenix Futures' family service in
Saltcoats, this further investment of £11 million into the North
East service will help address geographic barriers and provide a
welcome increase in residential rehabilitation capacity in
Scotland, particularly for areas outside the Central Belt. I am
pleased that the way we have funded placements has allowed more
people in the North East to access this type of treatment
quickly.
“A recent report suggests we have achieved our aim of 1,000
people a year receiving public funding for their residential
rehabilitation placement by March 2026, but we want to do more
and our Additional Placement Fund will support even more people
to access rehabilitation.
“Yesterday's suspected drug death figures showed an 11% decrease
for 2024 but they remain too high. There has been some
encouraging progress, but we know there is much more to do and
that is why, through our National Mission on drugs, we'll
continue to invest in a wide range of evidence-based measures to
save lives and reduce harms.”
Phoenix Futures Chief Executive Karen Biggs said:
"We are delighted to open Phoenix Futures Scotland's new
residential rehab in Aberdeenshire, bringing much-needed recovery
support to the North East. This service ensures people can access
life-changing treatment closer to home.
“Thanks to the Scottish Government's innovative funding model,
we've overcome financial and systemic barriers that previously
limited access to residential rehab. By prioritising investment
in recovery services, Scotland is setting a precedent for
inclusive and effective addiction treatment. This facility will
provide a safe, supportive space for people to rebuild their
lives.
“We look forward to working with local communities and partners
to make recovery accessible to all who need it."
Background
Rae House – Phoenix
Futures
A PHS report suggests
that, in 2022-23, the Scottish Government reached its target of
1,000 individuals a year being publicly funded to go to
residential rehabilitation and that the number of individuals
starting a placement which was publicly funded is likely to have
almost doubled between 2019-20 and 2022-23.
The Scottish Government interim report on
residential rehabilitation capacity in Scotland showed that there
has been a rise in residential rehabilitation capacity from an
estimated 425 beds in 2021 to a maximum of 513 in 2024 – an
increase of 21%. It counted bed capacity at September 2024. A
total of 28 more have been added through the expansion of the
Maxie Richards Foundation's service in Tighnabruaich and the
opening of Rae House. A further 53 will follow through the Second
Phase of Phoenix Futures' North East Recovery Project through its
Housing and Therapeutic Community Dayhab programme in Aberdeen
City, with more to follow in Inverness delivered by CrossReach.
Widening residential
rehabilitation access
Record levels of funding for Alcohol and Drugs programmes were
protected in the Budget. Total 2025-26 funding has been increased
by £2.5 million and now totals around £160 million, including
health board baseline funding.
The September 2024 Audit Scotland report on drug and alcohol
services recognises a doubling of investment in alcohol and drug
services since 2014-15, from £70.5 million to £156 million in
2024-25, as part of a committed £250 million investment in the
National Mission in this Parliament.
