Weekly news - 1st April 2011

Shaping recovery – the challenge for the residential sector

Flexibility and responsiveness are the hallmarks of success in a rapidly changing drugs recovery landscape, according to leading providers of residential rehabilitation services [NTA, UK]

Next open meeting of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

The next open meeting of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will occur on 12 April 2011. The meeting is free to attend, but you must register beforehand [Home Office, UK]

National drug treatment waiting times

Period ending Oct - Dec 2010 Statistical Publication Notice [ISD Scotland, UK]

Greater flexibility for drug testing in police stations

Police forces will now have greater freedom and flexibility to drug test people on arrest, Minister for Crime Prevention James Brokenshire announced today [Home Office, UK]

Sentencing for drugs offences – public consultation launched on new guideline for judges

The Sentencing Council is launching a three-month public consultation on its proposals to introduce a new guideline for judges and magistrates for the sentencing of drugs offenders [The Sentencing Council, UK]

Research and analysis publications

Regularly published research reports and analysis and research bulletins [The Sentencing Council, UK]

Change to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: control of tapentadol and amineptine

The 2011 Regulations similarly clarify the legislation on mephedrone by bringing mephedrone within the generic definition in paragraph 1(m) of Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 [Home Office, UK]

Developing Service User Focused Outcomes in Dual Diagnosis: A Practical Tool

The purpose of this outcomes tool is to support the delivery of quality services for people with co-existing mental health and substance misuse difficulties (dual diagnosis), through a better understanding of service user perspectives [National Mental Health Development Unit, UK]

National Programme for Prisoner Healthcare

Following a Feasbility Study undertaken in 2007, Ministers approved the transfer of responsibility for prisoner healthcare from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to the National Health Service (NHS) [Scottish Government, UK]

Health experts come together to launch Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health

Thirteen organisations have come together to launch the Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health (JCP-MH) and address serious concerns about the future commissioning of mental health services and public mental health interventions [Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK]