Drug Treatment

Statistical Publication Notice

25 September 2007

Drug Treatment Waiting Times Information Framework Report
April to June 2007

INTRODUCTION

This publication presents data from the Drug Treatment Waiting Times Information Framework. It includes details on the number of clients waiting and the time waited for (1) clients to be offered an assessment date and (2) clients to be offered an appointment date for any intervention.

This is the second publication of drug treatment waiting times using the revised publication format. The revisions have been made in order to improve the clarity of the information presented. They relate to the presentation of the data only and have not affected the underlying data collected.

KEY POINTS

Time from referral to assessment date offered

In Apr-Jun 2007, 70% (4,334 clients) of those offered an appointment for assessment were offered a date within 14 days of referral (Table 1).
Of those who were still waiting for an appointment for assessment, 23% (469 clients) had waited more than 52 weeks by the end of June 2007 (Table 1).
Of those clients who were still waiting for an assessment appointment at the end of the reporting period, the largest number of clients who had to wait over 26 weeks were in Aberdeen City (552 clients, 71%)(Tables 1 & 3, and Chart 1b).

Time waited for any intervention

In Apr-Jun 2007, 88% (2,864 clients) of those offered an appointment for treatment were offered a date within 14 days of date care plan agreed. (Table 2)
Of those who were still waiting for a treatment appointment at the end of the reporting period, 30% (331 clients) had waited more than 52 weeks. (Table 2)
Over half the clients in Edinburgh City* (15 clients, 79%), Lanarkshire* (110 clients, 73%), Glasgow City* (131 clients, 69%), Fife* (10 clients, 67%), Aberdeen City (27 clients, 63%), East Lothian* (74 clients, 62%), and Perth & Kinross (6 clients, 60%) waited more than 26 weeks for a treatment appointment and were still waiting by the end of the reporting period. (Table 2 & 4, and Chart 2b).

* Based on partial data submissions.

INTERPRETATION

Due to the reorganisation of Argyll & Clyde ADAT, ISD now receives data for (1) Argyll & Bute (2) Greater Glasgow & Clyde (excluding Glasgow City) and (3) Glasgow City. This publication presents data for each of these areas for April-June 07. Information for Argyll & Clyde and Greater Glasgow ADATs, which were previously published, are no longer received by ISD.

It is important to be aware that there are some data quality issues that may impact on analysis - caution is therefore recommended when interpreting tables.

For April-June 07, the Scotland figure represents 20 out of 22 ADATs i.e. it does not represent the whole of Scotland. Also, the number of services submitting data varies significantly from area to area and within areas across the data collection period (see Table 5).

It should also be noted that there is a wide range of demand for substance misuse services across Scotland, and to meet this demand, an equally variable set of practices across the country. In some ADAT areas, the impact of a single specialized service, for example, a crisis management centre, may dramatically alter the distribution of waiting times. Consequently, to compare data across ADATs is potentially inappropriate.

Finally, the tables include small numbers for some ADATs; caution is therefore recommended when interpreting differences in percentages.

ISD only receive aggregate data from each of the ADAT's and it is therefore not possible for us to validate the data. Detailed questions regarding local data should be addressed to the relevant ADAT.

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MAIN CONTACTS:

Elaine Parry
Senior Information Officer
0131 275 6655
Elaine.Parry@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

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GLOSSARY:

The interventions include:

(1) structured preparatory & motivation intervention - planned intervention that stabilises the client or prepares them for further interventions. It must be structured and have agreed goal(s).

(2) prescribed drug treatment - the prescribing of a substitute drug, (e.g. methadone, lofexidine, subutex) for facilitating the complete cessation of the use of illicit drugs, controlling withdrawal symptoms or reducing illicit drug use.

(3)community support/rehabilitation - Interventions that have the purpose of tackling the social and psychological problems faced by the client (such as debt / benefit / relationship and family problems, relapse prevention or employability and training issues) e.g. structured day programmes, counselling, group work.

(4) residential detoxification/rehabilitation - detoxification and/or rehabilitation that involves the client being admitted to a residential facility or hospital.

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PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

This is not a national statistics publication. However a preview is sent to:
ASD: David Signorini, Graeme Busfield, Donna MacKinnon, Nadiya Choudhry & Nicola EdgePolicy: Carole Ross, Dawn Abell & Karen McGuigan.
A copy is also sent to local ADATs on the Friday prior to publication.

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