Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC): Evaluation Report 4

The Sydney MSIC commenced operation at 66 Darlinghurst Road in Kings Cross in May 2001 for a trial period of 18 months. The initial, or phase one, evaluation covered the period May 2001 to October 2002. Following consideration of the evaluation results,  the trial was extended to October 2007 and the NSW Department of Health commissioned the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (NCHECR) and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) to undertake a second evaluation covering the period November 2002 to April 2007. The current evaluation is directed by a comprehensive evaluation protocol and overseen by an Evaluation Advisory Committee.

To date, the second evaluation phase has included an analysis of operation and service delivery data from November 2002 to December 2004, an assessment of community attitudes towards the Sydney MSIC based on repeated cross-sectional telephone surveys with local residents and business owners, as assessment of recent trends in property and drug-related crime in Kings Cross by the BOCSAR; and a report examining Sydney MSIC client referrals and health. This report is the final in the series produced by the NCHECR during the second evaluation phase of the Sydney MSIC.