Specialist drug worker wins praise

specialist drugs worker Suzanne Atreides

A specialist drugs worker who helps people addicted to prescription pills has been nominated for a Pride in Oldham award.

Suzanne Atreides is helping 170 people addicted to benzodiazepines through her work at Oldham’s Addiction Dependency Solutions, in Greaves Street.

ADS won the tender to operate the PCT’s benzo withdrawal service in 2005, and Suzanne is the dedicated worker. She was nominated by Barry Haslam, of Uppermill, a former addict who campaigned for a decade to get the service set up, and her client Peter Broadhead.

Mr Haslam said: “Suzanne is a dedicated hard worker with empathy and compassion for the 5,000 Oldham people addicted to tranquillisers and involuntary addicts.”

Mr Broadhead (60), of Holts Village, said: “She is a real rock. She has built my confidence up and she is a lovely woman. I have been on benzos since 1987, and two years ago my doctor forced me to go to her service.

“She won me over in no time in no time and I am now on a very low dose.

“ She helps you reduce in your own time. When I first started going she had to phone me to reminded me about appointments, and I had to take a taxi there because I had panic attacks.

“Now I get two buses there and two buses back. I am worried about my dad who is very poorly, and she phones me to see if I am all right, and she will go to hospital with me to see him if I want. She really is a rock to me.”

Ms Atreides has also reached out via Age Concern, Sure Start, GPs’ surgeries and Asian community workers to contact other addicts.

Told of her nomination, Ms Atreides said: “I am shocked and really surprised. This is really lovely and I’m touched.”

She said her work has branched out and the service now treats people who are also addicted to over the counter medicines and painkillers, and now works with 11 local GP surgeries.