TALKS are underway to restore in-ward addiction support services after a similar arrangement was brought to an end in Barrow.

An agreement had been in place with The Well to provide support services to patients suffering from conditions related to alcohol addiction on the wards of Furness General Hospital (FGH), until it was discontinued in April.

The services included ward visits, one-to-one and group counselling, as well as a rehabilitation programmes aimed to facilitate patients’ return to the community.

David Higham, founder and CEO of The Well, said the axing of the FGH contract owed to a five per cent budget cut at Public Health England (PHE). He said: “We’re in talks with Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group [CCG] about recommissioning the service. We already do the dual diagnosis service - dealing with drugs and alcohol - at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. And we’re now looking to replicate that at FGH.

“Since the Unity contract at FGH was pulled, we have noticed gaps in the support services.”

The PHE funds are administered by the county council. Cumbria’s PHE spend is £37 per head, while the national average is £57 rising to £179 per head in London.

A county council spokesman said: “Drug and substance misuse is extremely complex and requires a partnership response. We have been actively involved in the discussions with the CCG with regards to the proposal to develop an Alcohol Care Team in Barrow and these discussions are ongoing.”

A spokeswoman for Morecambe Bay CCG said: “We have been made aware of the loss of this service in Barrow and have been working to look at what we could commission next year to replace the service that has gone.”