While the treatment system in England is well established and among the best in the world for prompt access, retention and successful outcomes, continuing attention is required to ensure that the system is balanced and offers a range of interventions, including harm reduction, abstinence-oriented treatment and substitute prescribing for all those who need it.
Information for all healthcare professionals and partners
Building recovery
Drug users are more likely to complete their recovery if they have wider support to help them to rebuild their lives.
Skills and workforce
In recent years strong progress has been in made in expanding the workforce to deliver the increases in capacity and access to treatment that thousands of clients now benefit from. However, it is important that commissioners and services continue to work towards a workforce which is fully competent and able to demonstrate its competence.
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment support
Treatment outcomes and effectiveness
The NTA collect a lot of information about users in the system but we would like to know more about the outcomes of treatment.
Preventing drug related deaths and blood-borne viruses
Reducing the number of drug-related deaths and the transmission of blood-borne viruses, while encouraging stabilisation in treatment and support for abstinence, is key to a balanced drug treatment system.
Criminal justice
Drug treatment for offenders in the community has improved enormously over the past decade, in terms of availability and quality.
NDTMS
The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) collects, collates and analyses information from and for those involved in the drug treatment sector.
Families
Substance misuse is a complex issue. It affects not only individuals but also their families, friends and communities.
Young people
Very few young people develop dependency. Those who use drugs or alcohol problematically are likely to be vulnerable and experiencing a range of problems, of which substance misuse is one.
Involving service users and carers