The East Midlands is a polycentric region with three major cities (Leicester, Nottingham and Derby) and extensive rural areas, as well as former mining territory in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It is diverse, with an economic and social mix ranging from prosperous city-dwellers and commuters to pockets of serious urban and rural deprivation.

There are nine drug and alcohol action team (DAAT) partnerships in the region: Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester City, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. These are responsible for delivering the national drug strategy at a local level including commissioning substance misuse provider services.

Local treatment need differs per area and DAATs are required to conduct a needs assessment exercise on an annual basis with an expected outcome that local drug users have their individual needs met or met more effectively. The needs assessment informs the production of an annual treatment plan per DAAT area which sets out activity from the previous year, intentions for the coming year and plans for future expenditure. The regional NTA team use these plans to performance manage each DAAT in the East Midlands area.

More on drug treatment 2009-10 in the East Midlands