NDTMS Results

Drug treatment in England and Wales, in both the statutory sector (NHS) and non-statutory sector (voluntary and independent/private), is overseen by the National Treatment Agency (NTA). This is a special health authority which was set up by the government in 2001 as part of the national drug strategy (10 year plan) and which sets policy and strategy for the statutory drug services. Whilst the NTA cannot direct the policy of the independent sector it has significant influence in some issues, e.g. the commissioning and funding of treatment.

When the 10 year plan was announced in 1999 one of the issues it identified was a lack of consistency in the way drug treatment was delivered. This meant that in some areas there were waiting lists of over 12 months to get an appointment with a drug service and that different types of treatment were provided depending on local (provider) preference.

One of the processes developed by the NTA to resolve this is the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS).

The NDTMS is a database completed on an ongoing basis by treatment providers identifying set treatment elements and it enables the NTA to look at treatment across the UK and identify areas of good practice and areas of practive shortfall.

All of the information on the NDTMS is fully annonimised and the data provided is used by service commissioners and Drug Action Teams (DATs) to identify which services they wish to purchase or commission for their local service users. Detox 5 fully suscribes to the NDTMS process. To visit the NDTMS website please click here.