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Otago Daily Times
21-07-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
User sceptical over changes to needle exchange service
By Katie Todd of RNZ Changes to a decades-long needle exchange contract have left a Christchurch drug-user and health expert worried the decision will breed distrust, potentially leading to needle-sharing. Health NZ has not renewed the contract for DISC Trust, which has operated needle exchange services across the South Island for 35 years and has instead opted for a new provider He Waka Tapu from 30 September. RNZ understands 19 staff are waiting to hear about the future of their jobs, while people who use the service were worried He Waka Tapu might not replicate the "peer-to-peer" approach that made them comfortable using DISC Trust's services. The man, who spoke to RNZ on condition of anonymity, had been using DISC Trust's needle exchange at Christchurch's Rodger Wright Centre for about 10 years. He said DISC Trust staff were knowledgeable and most of them had been drug users themselves. "You're talking to someone who, who really, you know, actually gets it," he said. "There are no ulterior motives. They're not trying to convince you to give up your drugs and go and do treatment. If you want other services or information, you can ask and they'll give you that help, but they're not going to pressure you to go to rehab. "You see people in there who look like they're probably bodybuilders and you see other people that you know are using meth - all sorts of drugs. Whatever you're injecting, that's the place to get your needles from and to get rid of them safely." The man had sought advice about methadone and Hepatitis C treatment and received safe injecting equipment to take methamphetamine and heroin, including getting drugs checked for potency and any unwanted contaminants. DISC Trust also provided advice on overdose prevention and injection techniques that did not lead to tissue damage, he said. The man was concerned He Waka Tapu - a kaupapa Māori health organisation - would not have the same level of impartiality because it also offered a range of rehabilitation and treatment plans. "Just because someone's got the equipment to give out, it doesn't mean that I'm going to trust them. It takes time to build up trust in a service," he said. "I can't imagine, like, doing treatment there and then deciding I'm going to inject some drugs and having to go back to the same place. That would be so embarrassing." Health NZ said the needle exchange contract stipulated that people with "lived and living experience" had significant roles in the design, delivery and leadership of the programme. Needle exchange locations and employment details were still under negotiation, although it was confident there would not be any disruption to services, Health NZ said. When approached for comment, He Waka Tapu referred RNZ to Health NZ, which declined to provide further details. "Health New Zealand is currently negotiating a contract with the preferred provider. It is therefore premature for either Health New Zealand or the provider to respond to your query," Health NZ said. DISC Trust 'incredibly surprised and disappointed' DISC Trust executive director Philippa Jones said it ran six needle exchanges from Nelson to Dunedin and staff had about 30,000 "interactions" with drug users each year. She said the trust was "incredibly surprised and disappointed" to loose its needle exchange contract, but it would continue to provide other services such as HIV screening and vaccinations. "We've built a really deep connection with our communities and that's not something that can be replaced overnight, especially for people who are really stigmatised when they engage with the mainstream health system," she said. "This was a service established by the community of injecting drug users, for them. That's a unique feature of the service and that's how it's able to build that significant trust with clients." Jones said DISC Trust was informed of the contract loss on 16 June and staff were yet to hear from He Waka Tapu. University of Otago Professor Jeff Miller said people might re-use or share needles if they did not feel comfortable with the new service. "So you're moving into physical [tissue] damage and you're also moving into potential increase in exposure to hepatitis C in particular," he said. The loss of DISC Trust's needle exchange contract was "bizarre", he said. "It's a source of huge frustration and a little bit of disbelief to see this particular service, which incidentally is the most effective hepatitis C treating service in the country, apparently disappearing off the map," he said. South Island needle exchange funding RNZ understands funding for South Island needle exchange services has been reduced from $1.4 million to $1 million. Health NZ would not confirm the figures and declined RNZ's interview requests. In a statement, it said funding for regional needle exchange and harm reduction services was allocated based on population statistics. "The national budget for the delivery of needle exchange and harm reduction services and free safe injecting equipment is around $6 million per annum," HealthNZ said. Miller said the shift to a population-based approach was new and concerning, because data suggested the South Island had a higher proportion of people who injected drugs than the rest of the country, so deserved a bigger funding share. DISC Trust distributed about 40 percent of the country's sterile drug equipment, despite Te Wai Pounamu having only 23 percent of the country's total population. Know Your Stuff spokeswoman Casey Spearin said her organisation had worked with the trust to provide drug-checking services and she was also concerned abut the change. "It's disappointing to note that the overall funding amount for this service in Te Waipounamu has been scaled back. We have over three decades of evidence showing that needle exchange services reduce the burden of disease and other downstream effects on our health services and save taxpayer money," she said in a statement. "While we are pleased to see that He Waka Tapu provides wraparound support and whānau and tikanga-based approaches, there are likely to be some impacts when transferring needle exchange services to a new provider. "Ideally, He Waka Tapu would have been brought on to complement the existing services provided by DISC and helped provide these vital services to more people who need them." Health NZ said the services would transition to He Waka Tapu over the next two months and it was confident staff would "deliver the required services to people who inject drugs and who live in Te Waipounamu".
Otago Daily Times
21-07-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Concerns raised over changes to needle exchange service
By Katie Todd of RNZ Changes to a decades-long needle exchange contract have left a Christchurch drug-user and health expert worried the decision will breed distrust, potentially leading to needle-sharing. Health NZ has not renewed the contract for DISC Trust, which has operated needle exchange services across the South Island for 35 years and has instead opted for a new provider He Waka Tapu from 30 September. RNZ understands 19 staff are waiting to hear about the future of their jobs, while people who use the service were worried He Waka Tapu might not replicate the "peer-to-peer" approach that made them comfortable using DISC Trust's services. The man, who spoke to RNZ on condition of anonymity, had been using DISC Trust's needle exchange at Christchurch's Rodger Wright Centre for about 10 years. He said DISC Trust staff were knowledgeable and most of them had been drug users themselves. "You're talking to someone who, who really, you know, actually gets it," he said. "There are no ulterior motives. They're not trying to convince you to give up your drugs and go and do treatment. If you want other services or information, you can ask and they'll give you that help, but they're not going to pressure you to go to rehab. "You see people in there who look like they're probably bodybuilders and you see other people that you know are using meth - all sorts of drugs. Whatever you're injecting, that's the place to get your needles from and to get rid of them safely." The man had sought advice about methadone and Hepatitis C treatment and received safe injecting equipment to take methamphetamine and heroin, including getting drugs checked for potency and any unwanted contaminants. DISC Trust also provided advice on overdose prevention and injection techniques that did not lead to tissue damage, he said. The man was concerned He Waka Tapu - a kaupapa Māori health organisation - would not have the same level of impartiality because it also offered a range of rehabilitation and treatment plans. "Just because someone's got the equipment to give out, it doesn't mean that I'm going to trust them. It takes time to build up trust in a service," he said. "I can't imagine, like, doing treatment there and then deciding I'm going to inject some drugs and having to go back to the same place. That would be so embarrassing." Health NZ said the needle exchange contract stipulated that people with "lived and living experience" had significant roles in the design, delivery and leadership of the programme. Needle exchange locations and employment details were still under negotiation, although it was confident there would not be any disruption to services, Health NZ said. When approached for comment, He Waka Tapu referred RNZ to Health NZ, which declined to provide further details. "Health New Zealand is currently negotiating a contract with the preferred provider. It is therefore premature for either Health New Zealand or the provider to respond to your query," Health NZ said. DISC Trust 'incredibly surprised and disappointed' DISC Trust executive director Philippa Jones said it ran six needle exchanges from Nelson to Dunedin and staff had about 30,000 "interactions" with drug users each year. She said the trust was "incredibly surprised and disappointed" to loose its needle exchange contract, but it would continue to provide other services such as HIV screening and vaccinations. "We've built a really deep connection with our communities and that's not something that can be replaced overnight, especially for people who are really stigmatised when they engage with the mainstream health system," she said. "This was a service established by the community of injecting drug users, for them. That's a unique feature of the service and that's how it's able to build that significant trust with clients." Jones said DISC Trust was informed of the contract loss on 16 June and staff were yet to hear from He Waka Tapu. University of Otago Professor Jeff Miller said people might re-use or share needles if they did not feel comfortable with the new service. "So you're moving into physical [tissue] damage and you're also moving into potential increase in exposure to hepatitis C in particular," he said. The loss of DISC Trust's needle exchange contract was "bizarre", he said. "It's a source of huge frustration and a little bit of disbelief to see this particular service, which incidentally is the most effective hepatitis C treating service in the country, apparently disappearing off the map," he said. South Island needle exchange funding RNZ understands funding for South Island needle exchange services has been reduced from $1.4 million to $1 million. Health NZ would not confirm the figures and declined RNZ's interview requests. In a statement, it said funding for regional needle exchange and harm reduction services was allocated based on population statistics. "The national budget for the delivery of needle exchange and harm reduction services and free safe injecting equipment is around $6 million per annum," HealthNZ said. Miller said the shift to a population-based approach was new and concerning, because data suggested the South Island had a higher proportion of people who injected drugs than the rest of the country, so deserved a bigger funding share. DISC Trust distributed about 40 percent of the country's sterile drug equipment, despite Te Wai Pounamu having only 23 percent of the country's total population. Know Your Stuff spokeswoman Casey Spearin said her organisation had worked with the trust to provide drug-checking services and she was also concerned abut the change. "It's disappointing to note that the overall funding amount for this service in Te Waipounamu has been scaled back. We have over three decades of evidence showing that needle exchange services reduce the burden of disease and other downstream effects on our health services and save taxpayer money," she said in a statement. "While we are pleased to see that He Waka Tapu provides wraparound support and whānau and tikanga-based approaches, there are likely to be some impacts when transferring needle exchange services to a new provider. "Ideally, He Waka Tapu would have been brought on to complement the existing services provided by DISC and helped provide these vital services to more people who need them." Health NZ said the services would transition to He Waka Tapu over the next two months and it was confident staff would "deliver the required services to people who inject drugs and who live in Te Waipounamu".
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Needle exchange changes: 'It takes time to build up trust'
The Christchurch Needle Exchange at the Rodger Wright Centre. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Changes to a decades-long needle exchange contract have left a Christchurch drug-user and health expert worried the decision will breed distrust, potentially leading to needle-sharing. Health NZ has not renewed the contract for DISC Trust, which has operated needle exchange services across the South Island for 35 years and has instead opted for a new provider He Waka Tapu from 30 September. RNZ understands 19 staff are waiting to hear about the future of their jobs, while people who use the service were worried He Waka Tapu might not replicate the "peer-to-peer" approach that made them comfortable using DISC Trust's services. The man, who spoke to RNZ on condition of anonymity, had been using DISC Trust's needle exchange at Christchurch's Rodger Wright Centre for about 10 years. He said DISC Trust staff were knowledgeable and most of them had been drug users themselves. "You're talking to someone who, who really, you know, actually gets it," he said. "There are no ulterior motives. They're not trying to convince you to give up your drugs and go and do treatment. If you want other services or information, you can ask and they'll give you that help, but they're not going to pressure you to go to rehab. "You see people in there who look like they're probably bodybuilders and you see other people that you know are using meth - all sorts of drugs. Whatever you're injecting, that's the place to get your needles from and to get rid of them safely." The man had sought advice about methadone and Hepatitis C treatment and received safe injecting equipment to take methamphetamine and heroin, including getting drugs checked for potency and any unwanted contaminants. DISC Trust also provided advice on overdose prevention and injection techniques that did not lead to tissue damage, he said. The man was concerned He Waka Tapu - a kaupapa Māori health organisation - would not have the same level of impartiality because it also offered a range of rehabilitation and treatment plans. "Just because someone's got the equipment to give out, it doesn't mean that I'm going to trust them. It takes time to build up trust in a service," he said. "I can't imagine, like, doing treatment there and then deciding I'm going to inject some drugs and having to go back to the same place. That would be so embarrassing." Health NZ said the needle exchange contract stipulated that people with "lived and living experience" had significant roles in the design, delivery and leadership of the programme. Needle exchange locations and employment details were still under negotiation, although it was confident there would not be any disruption to services, Health NZ said. When approached for comment, He Waka Tapu referred RNZ to Health NZ, which declined to provide further details. "Health New Zealand is currently negotiating a contract with the preferred provider. It is therefore premature for either Health New Zealand or the provider to respond to your query," Health NZ said. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon DISC Trust executive director Philippa Jones said it ran six needle exchanges from Nelson to Dunedin and staff had about 30,000 "interactions" with drug users each year. She said the trust was "incredibly surprised and disappointed" to loose its needle exchange contract, but it would continue to provide other services such as HIV screening and vaccinations. "We've built a really deep connection with our communities and that's not something that can be replaced overnight, especially for people who are really stigmatised when they engage with the mainstream health system," she said. "This was a service established by the community of injecting drug users, for them. That's a unique feature of the service and that's how it's able to build that significant trust with clients." Jones said DISC Trust was informed of the contract loss on 16 June and staff were yet to hear from He Waka Tapu. University of Otago Professor Jeff Miller said people might re-use or share needles if they did not feel comfortable with the new service. "So you're moving into physical [tissue] damage and you're also moving into potential increase in exposure to hepatitis C in particular," he said. The loss of DISC Trust's needle exchange contract was "bizarre", he said. "It's a source of huge frustration and a little bit of disbelief to see this particular service, which incidentally is the most effective hepatitis C treating service in the country, apparently disappearing off the map," he said. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon RNZ understands funding for South Island needle exchange services has been reduced from $1.4 million to $1 million. Health NZ would not confirm the figures and declined RNZ's interview requests. In a statement, it said funding for regional needle exchange and harm reduction services was allocated based on population statistics. "The national budget for the delivery of needle exchange and harm reduction services and free safe injecting equipment is around $6 million per annum," HealthNZ said. Miller said the shift to a population-based approach was new and concerning, because data suggested the South Island had a higher proportion of people who injected drugs than the rest of the country, so deserved a bigger funding share. DISC Trust distributed about 40 percent of the country's sterile drug equipment, despite Te Wai Pounamu having only 23 percent of the country's total population. Know Your Stuff spokeswoman Casey Spearin said her organisation had worked with the trust to provide drug-checking services and she was also concerned abut the change. "It's disappointing to note that the overall funding amount for this service in Te Waipounamu has been scaled back. We have over three decades of evidence showing that needle exchange services reduce the burden of disease and other downstream effects on our health services and save taxpayer money," she said in a statement. "While we are pleased to see that He Waka Tapu provides wraparound support and whānau and tikanga-based approaches, there are likely to be some impacts when transferring needle exchange services to a new provider. "Ideally, He Waka Tapu would have been brought on to complement the existing services provided by DISC and helped provide these vital services to more people who need them." Health NZ said the services would transition to He Waka Tapu over the next two months and it was confident staff would "deliver the required services to people who inject drugs and who live in Te Waipounamu". 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RNZ News
18-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Changes to needle exchange contract spark concerns
Changes to a decades-long needle exchange contract have left people worried the decision will breed distrust, potentially leading to needle-sharing. Health NZ has not renewed the contract for DISC Trust, which has operated needle exchange services across the South Island for 35 years. Health chiefs have instead opted for a new provider. Katie Todd reports. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Needle exchange ‘saved' life
A worried drug user says a Dunedin needle-exchange service in line for the axe has saved her life more than once. It comes after the Otago Daily Times revealed the Dunedin branch of the DISC Trust was among those which have lost the contract to administer the free needle-exchange programme for intravenous drug users. It had held the contract since 1988 when the government rolled out the programme. Staff and support workers at the Dunedin branch were either ex-users or had strong ties to the community, meaning they operated a fully "peer-based" approach to harm reduction and support. There are fears the new service will not fully replicate that approach. A client, who declined to be named, credited the organisation with saving her from "certain death", providing health advice and refuge from a toxic relationship. "Not all of us are junkies, I've always been able to hold down a job. I've got a business degree. "I have used the service for the past decade, but in the past five years, they've saved my life more than once. Without them, I would be dead." She felt "incredibly sad" for the staff at the Dunedin branch, who "really understood" her. "They're the ones that I turn to because they listen, and they don't interrupt you when you're talking to them. "They listen, and they offer self-advice, and they're just there for you whenever you need them. "I don't understand ... I mean, what's going to happen to us as a community?" She said the fact the service had an on-call GP was a literal lifesaver. "He could have just written a prescription for a month and then not even thought about me again. But he refused to do that. "I was waiting to get into rehab and they rang me every week to make sure I was all right and everything." Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) Starting Well programme director Deborah Woodley said HNZ conducted an open procurement process for the delivery of regional needle-exchange and harm-reduction services. "The request for proposal [RFP] for regional needle-exchange and harm-reduction services clearly outlined the requirements for service delivery including that people with lived and living experience have significant roles in the design, delivery and leadership of the programme," she said. "An evaluation panel, with representatives from Hauora Māori services, lived experience, policy, population health, mental health and addictions and national commissioning, evaluated proposals and made recommendations for preferred providers of regional services which were accepted by Health New Zealand." A worker at DISC's Dunedin branch, who asked not to be named, was "highly sceptical" about HNZ's response. "As far as we workers understand, the provision for lived and living experience in the RFP has been a box-ticking exercise. "The RFP asked for 'input' from those with lived and living experience: in our experience, asking for input is shorthand for asking for a non-actionable and dismissable statement from a group of people with real experience whose feedback they plan to ignore and certainly not take seriously." University of Otago (Christchurch) department of public health senior lecturer Dr Rose Crossin said it was important the right support models were in place. "The needle exchanges work because they're so trusted by their clients and that trust builds over a really long period of time. "It isn't just about providing sterile injecting equipment. "That's great, and it's absolutely important that clients of the needle exchange have access to sterile injecting equipment, but it is that holistic care. "It's about being able to go somewhere where you don't feel judged and you don't feel afraid." New Zealand Needle Exchange Programme executive director Philippa Jones said the DISC Trust discovered it had lost the contract on June 16. "The current contract is $1.4 million for the South Island. "The new contract funding was reduced to $1m. "We don't know anything about the new providers' service delivery model or locations. "We are not aware of the proposed staffing model and whether people with lived and living experience of injecting drug use will be employed to deliver the service. "Naturally, our clients are deeply concerned and worried. "After more than 35 years of delivering this specialist service, we were surprised by the decision." An HNZ spokeswoman said funding for the regional delivery of needle-exchange and harm-reduction services had been allocated based on population statistics.
