The Thistle: supporting people, saving lives

Published:

Nine months ago, Glasgow made history by opening the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility (SDCF) — known as The Thistle — at the Hunter Street Health and Care Centre. Since then, the service has seen a huge amount of interest from the media, local communities, and professionals across the city.

The Thistle was set up by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) to provide a safe, supervised space for people who use drugs. But it’s much more than that. It’s a place where people can get help with urgent health needs, access basic essentials like clean clothes and a shower, and speak to staff about support options — all in a non-judgemental environment.

What’s Happening at The Thistle?

Since opening in January this year:

  • Over 460 people have registered to use the service.
  • There have been more than 7,000 visits, with over 4,700 injections carried out safely — meaning no shared or reused needles, and no discarded needles on the street.
  • Most people are injecting cocaine, but heroin, ketamine, and other substances are also used.
  • There have been 60 medical emergencies, all safely managed on-site. Only 12 ambulances were called, and just 8 people needed hospital care.

Connecting People to Support

Since January, The Thistle has made over 340 referrals to other services:

  • 46% were for housing and accommodation.
  • 13.3% were for addiction care and treatment services.
  • Just over 10% were for the Blood Borne Virus Team.
  • Around 4% were for sexual and reproductive health.

Thanks to strong partnerships with other HSCP services and third sector organisations, regular clinics are now running on-site — including sexual health, Blood Borne Virus, and physical health clinics. These referrals show the complex needs of the people using the service, and the importance of having joined-up support.

People coming to The Thistle are often focused on urgent needs — a roof over their head, clean clothes, and help with their health and drug use. Staff at The Thistle do all they can to support people to engage with teams that can support presenting need.

Encouragingly, more people have accessed treatment and care for their drug use than expected at this stage. Some have connected with recovery communities — a promising sign that The Thistle can be a gateway to wider recovery services in Glasgow.

Some service users were keen to give feedback to us, with one commenting “I used the service for the first time today. It was really good. The staff were really nice. I felt safe and clean as I wasn’t using outside in dirty lanes”. Another said, “I want to thank all the staff who give up their time to work with us, you have no idea how many lives you are changing”. And lastly, a service user commented “They’re amazing staff. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be clothed. I wouldn’t be washed. I wouldn’t have people to speak to. I get a wee bit of peace here.”

Kelda Gaffney, our HSCP’s Depute Chief Officer, Operations and Governance and Chief Social Work Officer, said: “The Thistle is making a real difference. It’s not only reducing harm for people but it’s also helping people take meaningful steps towards better health, stability, and recovery. I’m proud that we are leading the way for Scotland and of the difference the service is making in our city."

Staying Connected

Our HSCP hosts a dedicated web area for the SDCF, which includes monthly updates and figures: glasgowcity.hscp.scot/sdcf. The service also engages regularly with local forums and responds to public concerns, making sure accurate information is available to everyone.