Chamber and committees

The Road to Recovery does not have a methadone programme. Decisions on the most appropriate treatment for an individual are for clinicians, in discussion with their patients, and in line with guidance set out in Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management (2007).

Individual patient level data on methadone prescribing, including dosage by patient, is not currently held centrally. Dosage and frequency are tailored to the individual patient based on the clinical assessment of the prescriber and dispensed and supervised accordingly by the dispensing pharmacist.

The SPCB considers and makes decisions on a range of issues to do with the running of the Parliament, however, the establishment of committees is not a matter for the SPCB. Rule 5.1.2 of the Standing Orders of the Parliament states that this is a matter for the Parliamentary Bureau.

Since the introduction of the Road to Recovery Strategy in 2008, the Scottish Government has invested in the enhancement of the Scottish Drug Misuse Database (SDMD) so that it includes the collection of follow-up and outcomes based information from people as they progress through specialist drug treatment. Prior to 2007 and the Road to Recovery, this information was not available.

In December 2012, the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland will publish the following report - Scottish Drug Misuse Database (SDMD) report on treatment outcomes – 2010-11 and 2011-12.

This will be the first report of follow-up information from the SDMD based on SMR25a and SMR25b data submitted by specialist drug treatment services in Scotland. The report will present data on individuals entering specialist drug treatment services in Scotland during 2010-11 and 2011-12. Using person level ‘follow-up’ data, an exploration of three and 12 month treatment outcomes for the cohort groups will be presented.

The Schools (Health promotion and Nutrition) Act 2007 places a duty on education authorities to promote school lunches and protect the identity of free school lunch recipients. Cashless catering can support these duties but is not the only method and we encourage local authorities to make catering service decisions based on local needs and circumstances. In addition, our Education Scotland Health and Nutrition Inspectors offer support and guidance to local authorities and schools on meeting the duties set out in the act.

<>Information on the number of take home naloxone kits issued in Scotland in 2011-12, through the National Naloxone Programme, is available in the report National Naloxone Programme Scotland Monitoring Report – Naloxone kits issued in 2011-12, published by Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland on 31 July 2012: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Drugs-and-Alcohol-Misuse/Publications/index.asp#992.

The report includes data on whether kits were supplied as a first supply or as a repeat supply and, if repeat supply, the reason for repeat supply.

The report states that 3,445 “take home” naloxone kits were issued in Scotland in 2011-12. Of these, 2,966 kits were provided as a first supply and 384 kits were a repeat supply.

Of the 384 kits which were issued as re-supplies, the reasons for these re-supplies were reported as follows:

145 kits were issued due to the previous kit being used on someone at risk of opioid overdose;

169 were issued due to the previous kit being lost;

40 were issued due to the previous kit expiring (i.e. naloxone as a pharmaceutical product, had expired);

12 were issued due to the previous kit being confiscated, and

In 18 cases the reason for the resupply was unknown.

From 2010-11 to 2011-12 the Scottish Government has invested £600,000 in the National Naloxone Programme, with a further £400,000 committed in 2012-13.

Scottish Government investment continues to provide a comprehensive package of support to NHS boards and Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in the development of their local take home naloxone programmes, this includes:

a National Naloxone Co-ordinator and a National Training and Development Officer based at the Scottish Drugs Forum,

information and training materials, including the national naloxone website http://naloxone.org.uk/

reimbursement to NHS boards for the take home naloxone kits issued in their local area,

an independent monitoring and evaluation programme led by Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland,

specific support for prisons in the roll out of the programme.

The National Naloxone Programme, introduced by the Scottish Government, is supported by an independent national and evaluation monitoring programme led by Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland.

2011-12 was the first full year of the rollout of the national programme and the impact of the programme will be assessed against a baseline measure, which is defined as follows:

“Of the total number of drug-related deaths (including suicides), as reported by National Records of Scotland (NRS):

- What number and proportion of these were opioid related (as defined by presence of heroin/morphine and/or methadone and/or buprenorphine);

- What number and proportion of these were opioid related and occurred within the first four weeks following release from prison custody.

broken down by gender and age groups (as per NRS drug related death reporting) for the calendar years 2007, 2008 and 2009.”

Information on how many take home naloxone kits were issued through the National Naloxone Programme and this baseline description were published by Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland on 31 July 2012 (http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Drugs-and-Alcohol-Misuse/Publications/index.asp#992) in their report National Naloxone Programme Scotland Monitoring Report – naloxone kits issued in 2011/12

This report states that during 2011-12 3,445 take home naloxone kits were issued. Of these 2,966 kits were provided as a first supply and 384 kits were a repeat supply.

Of the 384 kits which were issued as re-supplies, the reasons for these re-supplies were reported as follows:

145 kits were issued due to the previous kit being used on someone at risk of opioid overdose;

169 were issued due to the previous kit being lost;

40 were issued due to the previous kit expiring (i.e. naloxone as a pharmaceutical product, had expired);

12 were issued due to the previous kit being confiscated, and

In 18 cases the reason for the resupply was unknown.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

There are links centres in all public sector prisons in Scotland. Private sector prisons also operate a links centre model that enables prisoners to access community provided services that can help them to make the transition back to their communities.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The services provided in prisons through the links centre model are available to all sentenced prisoners. In addition, all long-term and life sentence prisoners have detailed management plans to support and manage their risk and needs whilst in custody and into the community on release. These offenders are also further supported through supervision by local authority social workers.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS considers that the community links facilities provided in prisons to enable prisoners to get access to services to support them on release make a valuable contribution to helping reduce reoffending. This is only part of the multi-agency support that is needed to help prisoners’ transition back to their communities and as such cannot be meaningfully assessed as a standalone service.