Lambley lashes out as specialist alcohol and drugs facility to shut doors in Alice Springs

The government has defended closing a specialist detox centre in Central Australia, saying it was still ‘cleaning up the CLP’s failed Alcohol Mandatory Treatment program’.

Independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley and Health Minister Selena Uibo.

A specialised alcohol and drugs withdrawal service in Alice Springs will be shut after the government hands it over to corrections later this month.

Independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley said it “truly beggars belief” any alcohol and drug services would be cut in Central Australia, while the government says services were instead changing location to better meet community needs.

The Integrated Withdrawal and Assessment Services (IWAS) facility is a seven bed detox unit of the Alice Springs Hospital, located in the correctional services precinct 25km south of the town.

Patients assessed as needing acute withdrawal support could be referred to the unit, which provided a free voluntary withdrawal and early brain recovery therapeutic program to help wean off substances.

The facility was originally set up in 2014 as an assessment centre for the Alcohol Mandatory Treatment program under the former CLP government, led by Mrs Lambley as then health minister, and morphing into IWAS under Labor years later.

IWAS staff have been told it will close on April 25, with workers to be redeployed within Alice Springs hospital.

A specialist alcohol and drugs withdrawal service in Alice Springs will shut later this month. Picture: Hiroshu Tsubono/Unsplash

The government said the facility would go to corrections, the assets moved to NT Health, and money previously spent on the facility used to commission more beds for community residential rehab facilities so there was no net loss.

Mrs Lambley said the “community will be much poorer” for IWAS closing.

“People requiring this type of specialised medical treatment and intervention will likely have to travel to Darwin or interstate,” she said.

“This is another demonstration of the genuine lack of commitment this NT Labor Government has to addressing the growing problem of addiction in Central Australia.

“This service has played a critical role in assisting people to turn their lives around.

“In the current climate, with such high rates of alcohol and drug fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour in Central Australia, it truly beggars belief that the NT government would be cutting any alcohol and other drug services. I am told there are no current plans to replace these services elsewhere in the town.”

Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley said the Alice Springs community ‘will be much poorer’ for IWAS closing. Picture: Jason Walls

Health Minister Selena Uibo said claims that alcohol and other drugs services were cut “are absolutely untrue”.

“What is true, is that the CLP’s failed Alcohol Mandatory Treatment program was wound down in 2017 as the response was not based on evidence, and an independent evaluation commissioned by the CLP showed it produced no sustained benefits for alcohol addiction,” she said.

“We have been cleaning up this costly program, which was three times the cost of residential rehabilitation and poorly used, to find efficient and better ways to support the Alice Springs and surrounding communities.

“Our Labor government is adjusting the model of care to better cater for people’s needs with a fit-for-purpose approach that includes support in hospital and assertive clinical outreach to the non-government sector who will provide the day to day 24/7 residential care for people.”

The CLP have promised to reinstate mandatory alcohol rehab if elected.

Originally published as Lambley lashes out as specialist alcohol and drugs facility to shut doors in Alice Springs