Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Accepted
Wide local variation in alcohol treatment coverage and patient success rates exists.
Conclusion
The NAO’s report showed considerable local variation in both the proportion of dependent drinkers in treatment and the success rates from those treatments. Nationally, an estimated 82% of alcohol dependent adults in England were not in treatment in 2018– 41 Qq 2–3, 7, 26 42 Qq 2, 13, 76; ATS0003 43 Qq 76, 80; Dame Carol Black, Independent report, Review of drugs part two: prevention, treatment, and recovery, 8 July 2021 44 Qq 24–25, 81–84 45 C&AG’s Report, para 2.18 and Figure 10 46 C&AG’s Report, para 2.17 Alcohol treatment services 15 19, but local authorities reported treatment gaps ranging from 58% to 93%.47 The report showed that the proportion of patients successfully completing treatment nationally was 59% but locally, this ranged from 29% in Sunderland to 90% in Barnsley.48
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and will release a toolkit in Summer 2023 to help local authorities compare treatment numbers, identify pathway needs, and reduce unmet need. It has also released a Local Outcomes Framework dashboard (April 2023) to benchmark and analyse local performance, using this data to support areas with low success rates.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2023 5.2 Although the number of people in alcohol treatment is currently increasing nationally, the department recognises the requirement to provide targeted support to local authorities where an area is not achieving its planned trajectories for increasing numbers in treatment. 5.3 The department will be releasing a toolkit in Summer 2023 which will help each local authority to compare treatment numbers to their estimated dependent populations and identify whether specific referral pathways need strengthening. The toolkit will also contain guidance on good practice to reduce the level on unmet need and target priority or under-served groups. 5.4 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.5 On 20 April 2023, the department released a Local Outcomes Framework dashboard to local authorities covering a range of outcomes, including rates of progress in treatment, completions of treatment, and deaths in treatment. 5.6 All the data presented in the dashboard will be benchmarked to enable national and regional comparisons. All outcomes framework measures will be analysed and interpreted alongside each other by the department to improve understanding nationally and locally of variation in performance between areas. 5.7 Using data in the Local Outcomes Framework dashboard and the unmet need toolkit the department will support local areas to understand their data and support them to take appropriate action, prioritising areas where success rates are particularly low, connecting them where appropriate to areas with better success rates to share good practice.