The Department’s guidance on local programmes of improvement for alcohol treatment services was launched in November 2005. This is aimed at the local national health service, local authorities, voluntary bodies, and others seeking to work with the NHS to tackle alcohol misuse.
Access to specialist treatment services is a matter for local primary care trusts (PCTs), who are responsible for improving the match of treatment provision they commission to the need of the local population for services. Information is not held centrally on local budgets.
It is estimated that £217 million is currently being spent by PCTs on alcohol treatment. An additional £15 million has been allocated to all PCTs to improve alcohol services from 2007-08 onwards. Around 63,000 people are receiving treatment from specialist services, with additional people receiving treatment and support from their general practitioners.