PRIME minister Boris Johnson has been urged to make the drug death crisis his number one priority this year.

Glasgow Tory MSP Annie Wells has written to the Prime Minister seeking confirmation that the UK Government will arrange a summit in Glasgow to discuss with the Scottish Government how best to deal with the crisis.

Last year, when the death figures were released showing that a record 280 people had died in Glasgow and 1187 across Scotland, this paper called on both governments and the council to come together in Glasgow for an emergency summit.

The Scottish Government’s public health minister Joe FitzPatrick agreed immediately, while initially the UK Government said it was not available to participate.

Later, however, policing minister Kit Malthouse said the UK Government would host a summit before Christmas last year.

However, the General Election put any plans on hold and no announcement has been made since.

Wells said in her letter it should take place “at the earliest opportunity”.

She added: “In the year ahead, I hope the drug deaths crisis will be your number one priority in Scotland and I encourage you to ensure the summit is arranged as soon as possible, so that Scotland’s governments can establish the swiftest and most effective means of saving lives through improved rehabilitation and treatment services.”

When the figures for 2019 are released in July this year, it is expected that there will be another increase to more than 300 deaths in Glasgow and more than 1200 across Scotland.

Campaigners have been calling for extra resources to be invested in residential rehabilitation services.

Wells, along with SNP and Labour politicians, attended a vigil last month in Springburn with Faces and Voices of Recovery (Favor) Scotland.

She added: “As the Favor Scotland campaign has made clear, while politicians keep talking about doing something without actually taking much action, more and more people in Glasgow and across Scotland are dying.”

Wells said that she had personal experience of losing someone to addiction.

Fitzpatrick, Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon, former Labour MP Paul Sweeney, SNP MSP Anne McLaughlin, SNP MSP Bob Doris, SNP councillor Graham Campbell and Tory councillor Thomas Kerr also spoke at the meeting in Springburn Parish Church.

Fitzpatrick pointed to his setting up of a drugs death taskforce and said he would “do his best” to reduce the deaths going forward.

At the meeting, Natalie MacLean of Favor said: “I am begging you, Mr Fitzpatrick, please help us, we are dying in our thousands. We need actions, not words.”