Dedicated service for drug users needing new bladders introduced

A dedicated service for drug users needing new bladders has been introduced at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital. 

The popularity of class B drug ketamine, an anaesthetic that is often snorted but can cause serious bladder problems, has driven the need for the service. 

Maria Evans, from Gwent’s Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, told a Monmouthshire Council meeting: “In the last six months we’ve had to set up a ketamine pathway unit inside the urology unit at the Royal Gwent due to the number of people needing new bladders as a result of ketamine use.” 

Urology is specialist surgery that includes the kidney and bladders. Ketamine use can cause infections in both as well as abdominal pain or cramps, and the need to constantly use the toilet and blood-stained urine. 

Councillors were briefed on drug related deaths in Gwent, with one calling for a hard-hitting promotional campaign to warn against the use of ketamine. Meanwhile, the detective responsible for investigating drug related deaths said he believed the withdrawal of police liaison officers from schools would impact drug prevention efforts. 

Ms Evans, in response to the suggestion government should lead a drive to warn against the dangers of ketamine use, cautioned a campaign song, by the cast of BBC school drama Grange Hill during the height of the 1980s heroin epidemic, had been shown not to work. 

Conservative councillor Penny Jones said youngsters taking ketamine are unlikely to be aware of the consequences and called for a campaign to target them, similar to controversial public health campaigns that sought to raise awareness of AIDS in the 1980s. 

She said: “Some of this is really shocking, but I didn’t know any of that. When we had AIDS we had the shock posters and it really brought people to their senses. We have to try something as young people taking ketamine, how many know they will need a new bladder or have urology problems?” 

Cllr Jones said the Welsh or UK governments should lead a campaign either on social media or using television advertising. 

Ms Evans, who is part of the Gwent Substance Misuse Area Planning Board – which includes the health board, the area’s five local authorities, police and probation, Public Health Wales and service user representatives – said “a lot” of work on raising awareness of the use of ketamine is being done. 

But she said there is a “it won’t happen to me” attitude and also said some will then use ketamine to relieve pain initially caused by its use. 

Ms Evans warned previous high profile anti-drug messaging hadn’t worked, such as the Just Say No song, by the cast of Grange Hill, which was a UK top five hit in 1986, and released after popular character Zammo became hooked on heroin. 

“We had the Zammo song and found it didn’t work,” said Ms Evans., 

In response to a question from Labour councillor Armand Watts, Detective Inspector Brendan Chambers, who has oversight of drug related deaths investigations for Gwent Police, said he was concerned about the impact of dedicated school visits being withdrawn. Gwent Police has said officers continue to visit schools despite dedicated funding having been withdrawn in 2024.

Cllr Watts had asked if there was an impact on crime prevention from the force no longer having school liaison officers. 

DI Chambers said: “Without the school liaison officers in schools it would have an impact, though I don’t have the data, I would undoubtedly say it’s probably had an impact.”