We look at adult substance misuse services in England, analysing whether patient outcomes have improved over time.

Substance misuse services are key components of local authority alcohol and drug treatment and recovery systems. They have a significant impact in reducing problems such as drug and alcohol-related ill health and death, the spread of blood-borne viruses, and crime. The harmful effects of alcohol and drugs are greater in more deprived communities, so effective treatment services can help to address these inequalities.

Since the onset of the pandemic and national lockdowns, concerns were raised about increasing substance misuse, and survey data suggests that higher-risk drinking increased.

In 2019/20, 270,705 people were in contact with drug and alcohol services. This increased to 275,896 in 2020/21 and went up even further in 2023/24 to 310,863 adults. Almost half of those accessing treatment in 2023/24 did so for opiate use. Almost three-quarters (72%) of those accessing substance misuse services in 2023/24 had an identified mental health need, highlighting a strong link between mental ill health and addiction. Here, we explore access to these services in terms of wait times and treatment completion...