NHS in-patient addiction unit set to close

The only NHS-run inpatient drug and alcohol unit in the west is to close despite a campaign to save it.

The Acer Unit, based in the grounds of Southmead Hospital in Bristol, will close its doors at the end of June this year.

Avon and Wiltshire NHS Mental Health Partnership (AWMHP), which runs the unit, said a fall in patient numbers due to a shift to community-based treatment meant it was no longer financially viable.

The AWMHP board made the decision to close the unit on Wednesday, noting only 45% of its beds are in regular use.