COUNTY councillors are looking to save £500,000 by ordering a review on drug rehabilitation and detoxification services across Lancashire.

But public health chiefs insist they are also looking to ‘reinvest’ in supported housing for recovering addicts, and provide a more effective rehab programme.

Currently in-patient detox work is undertaken by Blackpool Council, on the county authority’s behalf and are due for review within the next two years.

And residential and non-residential day care rehab contracts are held by the county council – but have not been ‘market tested’, councillors have been told.

It is anticipated that the £500,000 can be recovered by re-examining detox and rehab placements, and social worker costs spent through assessing users’ needs.

The current bill for the service sees £1.4million paid for detox places, another £1.6million for residential rehab and £100,000 given over to non-residential work.

Savings must be made by April next year.

Dr Sakithi Karunanithi, the county’s public health director, said at an executive scrutiny committee meeting: “This is about identifying one of the weak spots in our treatment and rehabilitation system.

“If we can house people when they are recovering then there is a high chance that they will stay off drugs and not go back into the treatment system.”

County councillor David O’Toole said that when a similar review was conducted a few years ago it was discovered that several organisations were being commissioned to deliver the same services.

“I just hope that we will be talking to other organisations, as part of this process, and there is not a duplication of effort,” added Coun O’Toole.