It had been “running at a considerable loss for many years”
16:03, 14 May 2025Updated 16:10, 14 May 2025
The Acer Substance Misuse Recovery Ward at Southmead Hospital(Image: Change Grow Live/AWP)
A “lifeline” alcohol and drug detox centre in Bristol will close within weeks despite thousands of people fighting to save it.
The Acer Unit at Southmead Hospital is the city’s only NHS-run detox unit, offering a 10-bed inpatient service where people struggling with addiction can access life-changing support in their recovery.
It is run by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) NHS trust, but its future has been uncertain for months. Now, the trust has confirmed that it will have to close at the end of June.
A statement issued by the trust today (May 14) explained: “Across the country there has been a move away from the use of drug and alcohol inpatient services towards more community-based detox treatment. This has been reflected locally with now only 45 per cent of the beds in the Acer Unit in regular use, compared to 90 per cent 10 years ago.
“As a provider AWP requires funding from commissioners to cover the cost of running its services. As a result of the reduction in use of its beds, the Acer Unit has been running at a considerable loss for many years despite efforts to increase bed occupancy, which means the cost of providing the service for AWP has far exceeded the money it receives.”
The unit had been granted a temporary reprieve in January to keep it open, after thousands of people signed a petition protesting against its closure. Originally it had been earmarked for closure at the end of March, but health bosses agreed to extend the contract until June to continue discussions about its future.
An investigation by Bristol Live revealed how the complex way it was funded left it vulnerable to closure. AWP originally announced the decision to close the Acer unit after it learned the block booking contract, which expired on March 31, was not being renewed by Bristol City Council. The mental health trust had said losing the certainty of this block booking made it financially uncertain and unsustainable.
‘Vital’
The Save the Acer campaign group was formed with both staff who work there and by people whose lives have been turned around by a stay in the unit, fighting to keep it open. Their petition, which gained more than 5,500 signatures, described the centre as “a vital cog in the wheel of recovery from addiction”.
One supporter who commented on the petition wrote: “A very dear friend of mine survived because of the Acer Unit. The unit makes a difference to addicts as well as their families; their children and their friends.
“The Acer Unit is a lifeline in Bristol. It has to be saved – listen to the people. It makes the difference between life and death.”
The NHS trust said it had financed a £1.3m funding shortfall in 2023/24, but that this use of its resources was “not sustainable” and “there remains no other viable model”. Its statement thanked staff at the centre for their years of work, adding: “We hope they will take the opportunity to remain with AWP where their skills and experience can continue to benefit local people.”
There will be no impact on current patients as they are all scheduled to complete their treatment prior to the unit closing, the trust added. It is also working with Turning Point as part of Horizons, a new community drug and alcohol services provider in Bristol, to “continue supporting a safe transfer of those services”.
Bristol City Council also referenced “sustained underuse and significant financial losses”. A council spokesperson said: “We are grateful to AWP for the provision of this service to date and thank staff at the Acer Unit for their passion and commitment.
“Bristol’s new Horizons Drug and Alcohol service are working closely with the Acer Unit to ensure safe closure of the service. Bristol clients will have treatment options, including inpatient detox, put in place according to assessed clinical and other needs.”
Justin Hoggans, regional head of operations at Horizons, added: “We were sad to hear of the decision to close the Acer Ward; however, we wanted to offer reassurance that inpatient detox will still be available to those who need it after the unit closes.
“We have access to several different inpatient detox facilities and people in need of detox will be able to work with us to choose the option that best meets their particular needs from a number of residential and community-based options.”