Publish date: 14 May 2025
The Acer Unit was planned to close on March 31st 2025, following the end of our current core contracting period and the reduction in spot purchasing of medically managed detox inpatient care. However, core contracts were extended until the end of June 2025 so we could carry out a further options appraisal and engage with local people and partners. We would like to thank Bristol City Council and other partners for their support during this process.
We have now carried out assessments of options looking at quality and safety, staffing, equality, and financial considerations. We have also met with members of the Save the Acer campaign group, people with lived experience, our staff, and other community representatives and would like to thank them all for taking the time to share their views.
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% of the beds in the Acer Unit in regular use, compared to 90% 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. During this time AWP has financed the shortfall which in 2023/24 was £1.3m, but this is not sustainable.
Sadly, when considering these issues and following the further assessments of options with our partners, there remains no other viable model for the Acer Unit beyond the end of June 2025 when the extended core contracts finish.
There will be no impact on current patients who are all scheduled to complete their treatment prior to the Unit closing. We are also working closely with Turning Point as part of Horizons, the new community drug and alcohol services provider in Bristol from April 1st, to continue supporting a safe transfer of those services.
The Horizons service provides assessment, psychosocial interventions, prescribing, detox, recovery support and harm reduction. It will also include access to alternative inpatient detox services when someone requires that level of care.
We would like to place on record our thanks for the enormous contribution made by the staff at Acer over many years, including during such an unsettling last few months. We hope they will take the opportunity to remain with AWP where their skills and experience can continue to benefit local people.
A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “Due to sustained underuse and significant financial losses, the AWP Board have taken the decision today (14 May) to close the Acer Unit in Bristol at the end of June 2025, following an extended review period and engagement with local stakeholders. 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, Bristol’s drug and alcohol partnership said: “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.”
