Smethwick rehab centre on the move to save money
A rehabilitation centre which helps 300 people kick drug and alcohol problems every week is being moved to cut costs, under plans unveiled today.
The facility will now be housed at the Alberta building, Oldbury Road, Smethwick.
It comes after Sandwell Council inherited responsibility for public health from the former Primary Care Trust (PCT), which was abolished in April. The council says the lease agreed by the PCT was too expensive so it is moving the service to a council-owned building instead.
Bosses say they will help find a new home for Pertemps, the one business based there.
Councillor Paul Moore, the borough's health boss, said: "We will offer a more cost-effective service if we move the drug and alcohol treatment service to Oldbury Road industrial park.
"We inherited the lease from the old Primary Care Trust because of the Government's health reforms and it is simply unaffordable – this money could be better spent on protecting and improving frontline services.
"Sandwell Council has looked across the borough for a suitable location and the industrial park is the best option."
Plans have been submitted by the council public health department to its own planning department to change the use of the building.
Under the scheme, there would be four services running from the same location including a drug treatment service, an alcohol treatment service, a drug and alcohol recovery and alcohol mental health services.
The facility will be help adults with problems including with opiates, crack cocaine and combinations of alcohol and drug problems.
Services would be available to people on weekdays, evenings and limited times during weekends, with an expectation around 300 people would be seen every week. The borough's drug treatment service was run by charity Swanswell on a contract from the PCT Care Trust, and has been based at Metro Court in West Bromwich.
