Chamber and committees

The breakdown of funding across the How to Save a Life campaign costs is as follows:

• social media – £9,989
• bus stops advertising including billboards and print media* - £178,847
• radio – £243,152

*this figure also includes digital displays and print media on buses and trains.

Estimates of the number of people prescribed opioid substitution therapy (OST) in Scotland are published on the Scottish Public Health Observatory website as, in spite of some data quality issues, Public Health Scotland (PHS) deem there to be a public interest in reporting this information. These statistics are published in a way that accurately describes the limitations of these data. Further, these estimates have been subject to external validation which indicates that their accuracy is good and has improved over time.

ISD (now Public Health Scotland) first published estimates of the number of people prescribed methadone for opioid dependence in 2015. The narrative accompanying these statistics states that, in spite of Community Health Index (CHI) capture being below the agreed threshold of reliability for individual-level analysis, these statistics are published due to ongoing public interest. As drug-related deaths have become an issue of growing concern, it is felt that this public interest argument continues to provide a strong reason for publication of statistics relating to prescribing for opioid dependence.

The way in which these statistics are published accurately reports the data quality issues that may affect their reliability. These statistics are published as ‘Management Information’ and the accompanying narrative describes the data quality issues and other appropriate caveats. The estimates are appropriately described as a ‘minimum number’ of people prescribed OST medications. Also, patient age and sex analysis that would typically be included for medications where CHI capture was above the agreed threshold of reliability for individual-level analysis, are not included.

Although the percentage of CHI numbers that were successfully captured from community prescriptions for OST medications in Scotland remains below the agreed threshold of reliability for individual-level analysis, there has been a substantial improvement in the quality of the underlying data over time. For the OST estimates, the CHI capture percentage increased from 64% in 2011-12 to 81% in 2021-22. As the information on ScotPHO in relation to prescribing for opioid dependence has developed, PHS have taken steps to understand how CHI capture affects the reliability of these estimates. Prior to releasing the first annual estimate of numbers of people on OST in March 2022, PHS held discussions about estimation methodologies with NHS Board prescribing leads and worked with them to agree a suitable way forward.

An analysis (also published on ScotPHO ) comparing estimates of the numbers of people on OST generated from NHS Board systems with the estimates produced by PHS shows that there was less than 1% difference between the 2020-21 total derived from local systems (29,588) and the PHS estimate (29,416). PHS continues to work with NHS Boards to improve the reliability of data on OST and any associated analyses.

The £800,000, which was allocated for media campaigns in 2021 and 2022 on the use of naloxone, was fully spent on the “How to Save a Life” campaign commissioned by the Scottish Government working in collaboration with the Scottish Drugs Forum.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18902 on 22 June 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Drug Deaths Taskforce had an allocation of £9 million to invest in 2020-21 and £5 million in 2021-22.

The majority of funding allocated to the Drug Deaths Taskforce was dispersed via Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) and The Corra Foundation. The Taskforce also funded the Digital Inclusion Project.

Alcohol and Drug Partnerships received additional funding in 2020-2021 and
‎ 2021-2022 from the Drug Deaths Taskforce.In order to receive funding ADPs were required to submit a proposal, clearly setting out how they would use this funding to address gaps in delivering the Taskforce’s six evidence-based strategies to help reduce drug-related deaths. Funding allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships is subject to Scottish Government’s robust grant management process, outlined in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM). The SPFM provides guidance on the proper handling and reporting of public funds.

Through The Corra Foundation, a Research Programme Fund and an Innovation Fund was developed by the Drug Deaths Taskforce. The Corra Foundation facilitated review panels with members from a wide range of backgrounds, including those with lived experience, to review and consider applications made to both the Research Programme Fund and the Innovation Fund. The funds were created to contribute to the evidence base to inform future actions.

Monitoring of the projects was managed by The Corra Foundation. Monitoring and evaluation were a critical element in obtaining funding. When funding was awarded, each grantee signed grant offer paperwork which contained several conditions. These included conditions around payment and reporting. The content of the grant offer letters (including the conditions) were agreed with Scottish Government for each round and new conditions added as required. Additionally, a thematic evaluation was funded by the Taskforce through the Corra Foundation.

The independent Drug Deaths Taskforce concluded in July 2022 after publishing its final report, Changing Lives . The Scottish Government then responded to the recommendations and actions put forward by the Taskforce within the Drug Deaths Taskforce response: cross government approach .

All grant funding allocated from the drugs policy division is subject to Scottish Government’s robust grant management process, outlined in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM).The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) provides guidance on the proper handling and reporting of public funds.

The SPFM also provides guidance on appraisal and evaluation techniques and procedures. The Green Book, Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government ? published by HM Treasury provides more detailed guidance on the principles, techniques and procedures applicable in relation to appraisal and evaluation.

Funding allocated to Scottish Drugs Forum for both core and specific project is presented in the following table. Information prior to 2017-18 is unavailable as it was deleted in accordance with our standard records management practice, before the date of your request. Therefore, funding allocated to the Scottish Drugs Forum from 2018-19 has been provided.

Funding allocated in financial year 2021-22 has been provided, however it is also publicly available at: National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

All grant funding allocated from the drugs policy division is subject to Scottish Government’s robust grant management process, outlined in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM). The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) provides guidance on the proper handling and reporting of public funds.

The SPFM also provides guidance on appraisal and evaluation techniques and procedures. The Green Book, Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government published by HM Treasury provides more detailed guidance on the principles, techniques and procedures applicable in relation to appraisal and evaluation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18901 on 21 June 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers