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SDCF - Local communities

Glasgow's Safer Drug Consumption Facility is called 'The Thistle'.

Safer Drug Consumption facilities (SDCF) were first established in Switzerland in the 1980’s. There are now more than 100 of these facilities worldwide, which has resulted in extensive research and evaluation of the impact on local communities.

The general themes from this research show that following the opening of SDCFs:

Social Care Planned Procurement and Commissioning Service Development Plan

The Glasgow City Integration Joint Board’s Social Care Planned Procurement and Commissioning Service Development Plan 2025 to 2026 and Social Care Planned procurement and Commissioning Service Development Plan 2026 to 2027 ar

Glasgow City IJB Meeting Schedule

2026-27 Meeting Schedule

SDCF - Service user information

Glasgow's Safer Drug Consumption Facility is called 'The Thistle' and opened on Monday 13 January 2025

Safer drug consumption facilities (SDCFs) are supervised healthcare settings where you can consume your own drugs, obtained elsewhere, under the supervision of trained health and social care professionals, in clean, hygienic and safe environments reducing the risk of overdose.

You will receive a compassionate service which focuses on reducing the harms associated with injecting drug use and will be given the opportunity, if desired, to access other support services. 

Safer Drug Consumption Facility

Glasgow's Safer Drug Consumption Facility is called 'The Thistle' and opened on Monday 13 January 2025.

Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and other partners have worked to develop the first Safer Drug Consumption Facility (SDCF) in Scotland and the United Kingdom. The Thistle is located at 55 Hunter Street, Glasgow, G4 0UP and is open 9am to 9pm every day, 365 days of the year.

Glasgow City Integration Joint Board Papers

Meetings

The next meeting of the IJB will take place on Wednesday 24th June 2026 at 9.30am.

Primary Care Improvement Plan - Bulletins and Additional Information

Bulletin - May 2026Bulletin - February 2026

IJB Public Engagement Committee Papers

Meetings

The next meeting of the IJB Public Engagement Committee will take place on Wednesday 19th August 2026 at 10.00am.

If you wish to watch the proceedings, please email glasgowcityijb@glasgow.gov.uk and a link to access the MS Teams feed of the meeting will be sent to you. Please see Guidance for Participating in a Virtual Meeting.

The meeting papers are available approximately one week prior to the meeting.

IJB Public Engagement Minutes

Draft

There are currently no draft minutes available. 

Approved Minutes

2026

18 February 2026

2025

Thistle Service Data

Data up to end of May 2026

See below for definitions of Data.

Service User DataNumberTotal Unique Service Users attending the service732Total Unique Male Service Users attending the service573Total Unique Female Service Users attending the service159