This update is intended to build on the framework and concepts in Models of Care 2002 rather than replace them. It requires drug treatment commissioners and providers to have implemented the key tenets previously described in Models of Care 2002, including:
• The four-tiered model of commissioning
• Local screening and assessment systems
• The care planning and co-ordination of care at the heart of structured drug treatment
• The development of integrated care pathways.

Models of Care: Update 2006 outlines:
• The policy context and rationale for updating Models of Care 2002
• The key differences between Models of Care 2002 and Models of Care: Update 2006
• The context of improving treatment effectiveness and improving clients’ journeys
• A reiteration of the four tiers
• Updated information on assessment, care planning and integrated care pathways
• Definitions of the full range of treatment interventions in the context of local treatment systems
• Draft quality requirements, which are in line with the NHS policy and performance management structures