Syringe Exchange/Methadone Services: Crystal Palace Rd

[BARA]

The health authority has received an application to open a pharmacy on the Dulwich Medical Centre Premises (163-9 Crystal Palace Rd). This is next door to Gumboots Community Nursery, Gumboots After-School Club and the youth club at the Community Centre. Dulwich Medical Centre is 2 minutes walk to Northcross Road and less than 5 minutes walk to Lordship Lane.

The pharmacy will be a ?100 hour pharmacy?, hours likely to be 7.00 AM to 11.00PM, 7 days a week. Services will include a needle exchange service and possible supervised methadone consumption for drug addicts, e.g. heroin addicts (the methadone service may be available immediately or at a later date).

There is concern that this will attract drug users to the area, affecting safety (particularly at night) and leading to an increase in anti-social incidents. Others areas which have had pharmacies with similar services opened, have seen a rise in drug addicts present, used syringes discarded on to the streets and trouble caused by the people present.

All interested parties have not been made aware of the proposals. We are worried about the approach of the health authority (the PCT).

To add your name to the petition against this proposal, please reply by private message (?Reply via PM? option) with your name and address. Please also include the details of any other adults in your household who object - we need as many signatures as possible. Objections must be received by 8th November* (this date was extended from 26th September, after BARA met with Tessa Jowell's office). Please spread the word to neighbours/friends. Thank you

For further info contact [email protected] or e-mail [email protected]

Regards

BARA - Barry Area Residents Association

Covering the area bordered by Crystal Palace Rd, Friern Rd, Lordship Lane and Upland Rd (including Henslowe Rd, Goodrich Road, Darrell Rd, Silvester Rd, Hindmans Rd, Landells Rd, Barry Road, Plough Lane, Etherow Street, Mulberry Close and part of Underhill Rd)

Please note: We have all the official documentation on this - its not just a rumour. Please e-mail us for further info.

*date amended after extension was granted

[macroban]

A 100 hour pharmacy will be a useful additional service for East Dulwich.

[BARA]

The extended hours would indeed be a benefit. Unfortunately, the down sides are worrying. For example, we have spoken with someone whose mother lives near such a pharmacy which offers needle exchange/methadone supervision - her mother has said the effect on the area/safety issues/rise in trouble has been dreadful.

[AllforNun]

Well if someones mother has said that it is a bad idea then where do I sign?

I am sure it's not a party to deal with an addiction, although putting a needle exchange so near to a nusery is a bit odd. Have you spoken to any of the doctors at the surgery and asked them their opinion ?

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

For addicts to get needles they have to exchange their old ones for new ones, so unless you think the pharmacy will be fly tipping needles into the nursey garden, or junkies will be jacking up on the pavement, I don't know how this is going to impact on the nursery.

Drug addcits have as much right to expect decent services in their area as anyone else, and this kind of nimbyism only serves to alienate an already vulnerable group of our neighbours further.

Why don't you fight for more residential rehab places instead of trying to sweep East Dulwich's drug problems under someone elses carpet.

[BARA]

AllforNun - BARA has spoken to both the nursery and the people in charge of the after-school club and the youth club. The doctor's surgery or Mediquick has not mentioned any of this to them. This is surprising given that they are neighbours.

The last date for any comments to be made is next week, so they haven't left much time to tell them.

We should add that the application has been made under the company name of Mediquick and it is believed that the medical centre will provide the space for them or that Mediquick/or PCT will build additional premises.

[BARA]

CWALD - I agree whith some of your points. What people would like is some open dialogue about what is going on. For example, how the health authority/council intend to deal with any negative aspects.

"so unless you think the pharmacy will be fly tipping needles into the nursey garden, or junkies will be jacking up on the pavement, I don't know how this is going to impact on the nursery" ... Other areas have unfortunately seen problems, that's why we would like to oppose the application and at least have the opportunity to have an open dialogue before any decisions are made. When we called the relevant person at the health authority, they admitted that they "didn't really understand" how the process re decision-making works. That response did not fill us with confidence.

"Drug addicts have as much right to expect decent services in their area as anyone else" ... I agree. Drug addiction is an illness just like any other illness. We have also said a number of times that facilities are needed for them, but we would like an open dialogue about what is going to happen.

[Bellenden Belle]

I have just looked up services already available for needle exchange in SE22 - and it is already happening at

Foster and Son's chemist ; 14 Forest Hill Road; East Dulwich

So it would be interesting to hear if residents in the surrounding streets have experienced any problems. I suspect they won't even be aware the chemist offers the service. I would like to know what areas/ services BARA are referring to that have been so affected by such a service - show me reports, I'm not interested in hearsay.

[BARA]

I am aware that one pharmacy already provides a needle exchange. That pharmacy is open until 5.30pm on weekdays and 9am-1pm on Saturday. This pharmacy has a few regular people (who live in the local area) that come in, and they do not experience many problems.

We have the concern of the added hours - until 11pm every day, including weekends. We are concerned about more drug users being attracted to the area and issues including safety at night.

One local pharmacist has told us that he regularly picks up used syringes from the pavement (a busy shopping street). He has repeatedly asked them not to leave them there and he has even asked them to come into the pharmacy and he will dispose of them. He actually ends up picking up the used syringes himself because he is worried about them being left there.

Bellenden Belle - We are also not interested in hearsay. We would have preferred to have heard this directly and in a timely fashion, instead of finding out about it in passing from another source, one week before comments/objections can be submitted.

This is not the only area which is trying to have a say in such services, e.g. the same issue is going on at Heaton Rd in Peckham/Nunhead.

BARA campaigns to have its voice heard on a number of issues. A couple of years back they collected 20,000 signatures to prevent the closing of the Community Centre. We want an open dialogue. A number of people have already expressed concern and signed a petition. I respect your view and they too are entitled to their view and to ask for an open dialogue.

[Ant]

My daughter goes to that nursery, and I'm quite surprised to hear that the medical centre hadn't informed them about their plans. It could be that this new service won't cause any problems, but the potential for them is there and the way the medical centre seems to have conducted itself doesn't fill me with confidence. I think we do need an open dialogue about this, and if that means opposing the development until we can have one then I'd support that. I'm not necessarily opposed to the development outright, but I would like the chance to make a properly informed decision one way or the other.

[Edited once because I've had a bit of a think and calmed down a little.]

[Nero]

If it does go ahead, then the community wardens and local bobby should be informed. At least that way the authorities are away of public concern and of possible problems. It does seem odd to offer such a service so close to a nursery when there are other doctors' surgeries available that are not in such positions. However, I do also understand Chav's point of view. Nero

[Keef]

Forget the nursery, what about the potential impact on the CPT?

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Keef - u mean cos we can all get sh**faced for free on methadone instead??

[Ted Max]

I've got two kids at that nursery too, Ant, and I'm relaxed about the idea of a 24 hour pharmacy and needle exchange. I also slightly object to BARA implying opposition from the nursery - given that it doesn't sound as if any was expressed, just hat the nursery confirmed it had not been consulted. I suppose the surgery should have told the nursery out of courtesy, but given the place has pretty good security I'm not sure what the threat would be, more than to al the other kids living in the immediate area.

[macroban]

> BARA has spoken

Some first person plurals too.

Who is writing?

[Ko]

I have signed the petition. I have had an addict in my immediate family. Addicts need help and there are also safety issues to consider and openly discuss.

I have volunteered with a homeless charity. A number of those people were addicts. The charity workers and volunteers were there to help them. However safety issues were paramount. Also, the charity's neighbours were considered and any issues were openly talked about, in an attempt to prevent problems before they happened.

[BARA]

Macroban, BARA committee members have access to the BARA user account - this has been cleared with the Administrator. We seek to represent the views of BARA, rather than personal views (individuals sometimes have a different view to the overall view of BARA). We will post the date of our next meeting for people who want to attend to discuss this topic and other topics - there are regular meetings for people to attend and we notify the local community in our area of those dates.

[bawdy-nan]

I'm a trustee of the nursery in question (Gumboots Community Nursery).

We found out about the plans last night and have not been informed by the Doctor's Surgery or the PCT. It is in fact a statutory requirement according to the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005 (regulation 23) that the PCT inform a whole range of people and interested parties about such a proposal.

We come under the "any other patient, consumer or community groups in the area that the Primary Care Trust or Local Health Board considers has an interest in the provision of pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood".

The full regs can be read here http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050641.htm#23.

At our management committee meeting last night strong opinions were indeed expressed about the potential impact on the nursery, whether a GP's surgery sandwiched by a nursery and an after-school club in a solidly residential area was the best pace to position such a facility if it is necessary and that the PCT and GP's had failed to consult with us.

The practice has arranged a meeting with us but, curiously, for the day after objections can be submitted. It would be disingenuous indeed for the practice to have arranged the meeting so that we couldn't raise objections.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of a needle exchange and methadone clinic it is inevitable that the parents of young children attending a nursery whose premises sit next to it are going to have some concerns. The people at the Centre frequently return balls, toys and dolls that are tossed over the wall by the children into their premises it is not alarmist to suggest that we're keen to avoid a reciprocal deal with the users of the proposed clinic.

We'd like to see the proper procedures followed.

If any parents of children currently at the nursery, or on the waiting list, would like to make comments to the Management Committee about this please email the nursery on [email protected] or put something in the yellow comments box. We're very keen to hear your views.

[Keef]

Ko Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Addicts need help

So surely the proposals would be a good thing then?

Fair enough, it's near the nursery, and this is something that will need consideration. However, I suspect that a lot of people (and I'm not meaning you Ko) will be against it simply because they have no idea, and they're worried about some unclean man p!ssing on their flower beds.

I for one think this is a good thing, and if nothing else, it will improve the lighting on that part of CP road til 11.

ChavWivaLawDegree Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Keef - u mean cos we can all get sh**faced for

> free on methadone instead??

Better than people snorting coke in the loos I guess ;-)

[BARA]

A member of BARA met with Tessa Jowell's office this morning. They agreed that whatever happens, we should have been provided with the information earlier and that we should be given adequate time to make appropriate comments.

Bawdy-Nan, BARA have also pointed out to the PCT the provisions made in the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005 (regulation 23).

When BARA met with Tessa Jowell's office, we made the point that if the pharmacy goes ahead (which is may well do), we would like assurances about better lighting, security measures and at least daily street cleaning to pick up items such as discarded syringes. We do not believe that it is wrong to oppose the proposal in order to allow time to be consulted.

[BARA]

Ted Max Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've got two kids at that nursery too, Ant, and

> I'm relaxed about the idea of a 24 hour pharmacy

> and needle exchange. I also slightly object to

> BARA implying opposition from the nursery - given

> that it doesn't sound as if any was expressed,

> just hat the nursery confirmed it had not been

> consulted.

We have always said that it is up to the nursery and other interested parties to make their own representations. BARA will make its own representations. We are simply trying to bring it to people's attention. We all want open dialogue and transparency in the process.

[spadetownboy]

BARA Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The extended hours would indeed be a benefit.

> Unfortunately, the down sides are worrying. We

> have spoken with someone whose mother lives near

> such a pharmacy which offers needle

> exchange/methadone supervision - her mother has

> said the effect on the area/safety issues/rise in

> trouble has been dreadful.

stop trying to scaremonger by suggesting that drug users will be attacted to the area and that it will suddenly become unsafe at night, it might be worth pointing out that needle exchange is not just limited to drug users, its also pretty handy for those who suffer with diabetes and other conditions which require regular injections at home. i wonder if there would be such a big hoo ha if the needle exchange was opened just for them, or is it just that you dont like the possible idea of hoards of drug users descending on crystal place road.

[Keef]

What he said!

[Ganapati]

Uh, I think I would prefer to have a clinic for diabetics than one for heroin addicts. Lets not romanticise addicts just bc NIMBYISM annoys people.

[Keef]

So you'd give the diabetic a clean needle, but tell the heroin addict to get lost and use last night's again? Nice.