What Do They Know.com / Public Health Intelligence
2nd Floor West
Response by email / Civic Hall
Leeds, LS1 1UR
Contact: Kathryn Jeffreys
Our reference: FOI 15575
7 December 2018
Dear H Adam,
Freedom of Information Request (Ref: 15575)
I refer to the above and your request dated 19, December 2015. I have contacted the relevant services and now provide a response to the following request Drug Treatment System.
1. What is the size (£) of the Public Health Grant for your council, and what is the % of the grant allocated to tackle heroin and crack use in your area for the following financial year? (If actual figures cannot be provided, please provide best estimates)
a. 2010 – 2011 – Public Health funding held by NHS not Council
b. 2011 – 2012 – Public Health fundingheld by NHS not Council
c. 2012 – 2013 – Public Health fundingheld by NHS not Council
d. 2013 – 2014 - £36,854,900 of which 23.34% was for drug service expenditure (£8.601m)
e. 2014 – 2015 - £40,540,400 of which 21.43% was for drug service expenditure (£8.688m)
*Note the drug service figures relate to contracted spend for all drugs including non-opiates as well as opiates. It is not possible to meaningfully split out the costs for opiates only. The figures include needle exchange equipment and collection costs, residential rehab and detox and expenditure on alcohol treatment for drug treatment clients with alcohol dependency but exclude prescribing, dispensing, testing and carers support or DIP service for offenders (currently under review).
2. Please could you give me the number of heroin and crack users in treatment for the following financial years:
a. 2010 – 2011 2,815 Problematic drug users
b. 2011 – 20122,919 Opiate users
c. 2012 – 20132,863 Opiate users
d. 2013 – 20142,827 Opiate users
e. 2014 – 20152,799 Opiate users
Source: Data from NDTMS (National Drug Treatment Monitoring Service) reports, adults only.
3. Please could you tell me the successful completions rate for heroin and crack users for the following financial years:
a. 2010 – 2011n/a
b. 2011 – 20127.3%
c. 2012 – 20138.0%
d. 2013 – 20149.3%
e. 2014 – 20156.9%
Source: Data from NDTMS (National Drug Treatment Monitoring Service) reports, adults only.
4. Please could you tell me the number of heroin and crack users in treatment, who have been in the system for more than 2 years, for the following financial years:
a. 2010 – 2011 data not available
b. 2011 – 2012data not available
c. 2012 – 2013data not available
d. 2013 – 201461% (equates to 1,724 service users based on figures at 2.)
e. 2014 – 201558% (equates to 1,623 service users based on figures at 2.)
Source: Data from NDTMS (National Drug Treatment Monitoring Service) reports, adults only.
5. What is the return on investment for the drug treatment in your area? (E.g £1 investment gives a return of £2).
Information is not held.
6. Is drug misuse one of the priorities for the Director of Public Health in your area for the following financial years:
a. 2010 - 2011
b. 2011 - 2012
c. 2012 - 2013
d. 2013 - 2014
e. 2014 - 2015
The prevention and treatment of substance misuse including the misuse of drugs has been and continues to be a priority for Leeds City Council as set out in the Leeds Drug and Alcohol Strategy and Action Plan which links with the Leeds Health & Wellbeing strategy and the public health aspect of the Best Council plan and includes the following four key outcomes :
1.People choose not to misuse drugs and/or alcohol
2.More people to recover from drug and alcohol misuse
3.Fewer children, young people and families are affected by drug and alcohol misuse
4.Fewer people experience crime and disorder related to the misuse of drugs and alcohol
7. Have you decommissioned any drug services for heroin and crack users between 2010 and 2015?
a. If yes, what type of services were de-commissioned?
b. Why did you de-commission these services?
c. What was the value (£) of these services?
No. Although drug services were recommissioned through a competitive bidding process during 2014 opiate users still have access to the same types of intervention and support previously available.
The recommissioning of drug services was part of a wider review of community drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery services for adults, children and young people in Leeds. This followed extensive consultation during 2013 with key stakeholders such as service providers, service users, Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, West Yorkshire Police, Probation, Prison Service, ward members and third sector organisations and was in response to changes to national and local strategy, opportunities relating to the move of public health into Leeds City Council, a desire to improve outcomes for those in treatment and a number of existing service contracts approaching their end.
8. Who are the current service providers for heroin and crack users in your area?
Following the re-tendering of drug and alcohol services in 2014 the contract for delivery of a combined drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery service for adults children and young people in Leeds was awarded to DISC (Developing Initiatives for Support in the Community) with the new service commencing on 1 July 2015. Known as Forward Leeds, the service is delivered by DISC (Developing Initiatives for Support in the Community) in conjunction with four consortium partners Barca, St Anne’s, St Martin’s Healthcare Services and Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust.
I trust that this response is satisfactory.If however you are dissatisfied with this response you have a right to appeal to an independent officer withinOffice of the Director of Public Health. They will re-examine your request and assess whether we have adhered to the requirements of the act. Should you wish to follow this course of action please address your concerns in writing to Kathryn Jeffreys, Office of the Director of Public Health, Public Health Intelligence, 2nd Floor West, Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR or by emailing .
You also have a right under Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act to ask the Information Commissioner to decide whether we have met with our obligations under the act. The Commissioner has however made it clear that he expects all applicants to exhaust internal appeals procedures prior to making such an application. Should you wish to contact the Commissioner’s office then you can write to the following address:
Office of the Information Commissioner,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.
You may also contact the Commissioner via his website at
I trust that this is self-explanatory.If you have any queries please contact me on0113 39 57341, or by return email.
Yours sincerely,
Kathryn Jeffreys
Public Health Information Manager (IM&T and IG)
4444