Londonderry: Fresh call for specialist addiction centre

The head of a Londonderry treatment centre has made renewed calls for an addiction centre of excellence to be set up in the north west.

Funding provisions for an addiction centre in Derry were outlined in the New Decade, New Approach deal.

The deal restored devolved government to Northern Ireland after almost three years of political deadlock.

Tommy Canning, who runs Northlands community-based treatment centre, said the "situation hasn't improved".

Mr Canning said there has been an increase in the number of first-time appointments during the pandemic and their facility does not currently have the capacity to deal with the challenge.

Northlands is a community-based, independent treatment centre, which treats people with addiction problems

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, Mr Canning said: "We know this year that the amount of work we have been doing through Covid has increased.

"There is a 25% increase in the uptake of first-time appointments that we are experiencing since the lockdown began in March.

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"We are facing a situation where our bed capacity has had to be reduced by 50%."

Mr Canning said Northlands would usually see about 1,600 people in the clinic during a typical year, but between March and December 2020 that figure was already at 1,700 and is continuing to increase.

BBC News NI has approached the NI Executive Office and the Department of Health for an update on the funding situation.

Official figures show the number of alcohol-related deaths in Northern Ireland reached a record high in 2019. The death rate is more than three times higher in the most deprived areas.

"It was in 2015, we all noticed it was an addiction. I was 12."

Tamzin White's mother, Louise, died on 16 January at the age of 40 with alcohol addiction

A Derry teenager whose mother died with alcohol addiction has called for greater support for those battling addiction in the city.

Tamzin White's mother, Louise, died on 16 January at the age of 40.

"She didn't know why she was like this, she didn't want to ever be like this," Tamzin told BBC Radio Foyle.

The 18-year-old said Louise's addiction would affect her mother's mood and she would often become agitated or hostile towards people around her. It was a far cry from what she was like sober, Tamzin said.

"It wasn't my mummy when she was on the drink, it just wasn't her. It was a different Louise."

Tamzin, along with other family members, pleaded with her mother to stop abusing alcohol on numerous occasions.

"I asked her to stop countless times, I said to her countless times 'you are going to die' - God is not going to give you many more chances mummy because he has already given you so many chances.'"

Louise's addiction had a huge effect on the family. Tamzin said the ordeal was "heart-wrenching" for everyone, and took its toll on herself and her two younger sisters.

Political parties in Northern Ireland agreed to the New Decade, New Approach deal, which included funding being made available for "a range of projects aimed at supporting community and reconciliation initiatives".

One such provision was for additional funding to support the establishment of a new addiction centre in the city.

"The current facility that we are in, the limited capability has been highlighted by Covid," Mr Canning said.

"A centre of excellence would increase the capacity we have in terms of residential beds, increasing non-residential work and incorporate long-term aftercare, pre-treatment and family support work."

If you have been affected by addiction, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.