A consortium in Lincolnshire has been contracted to provide local drugs and alcohol support, in a move expected to save the council £5m over the next three years.
North East Lincolnshire Council believes the partnership approach offered by local providers will also result in a ‘better, more seamless service’.
Care Plus Group, The Alcohol and Drug Services and Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust will jointly deliver the contract.
Councils took on the commissioning of drug and alcohol treatment services last year as part of new responsibilities around public health.
Peter Wheatley, cabinet member for health, said 40% of the council’s £10m annual budget had historically been spent on drugs and alcohol services via local primary care trusts.
‘We immediately began looking at how this money was being spent to ensure it delivered value for money,’ he said.
‘We particularly looked at how we could deliver these services more efficiently and reinvest savings into more preventative public health activity. I am delighted at the outcome of this exercise and look forward to continuing with the excellent support this service provides for some of our most vulnerable residents.’
The new service is expected to provide drug treatment for around 1,000 people in its first year when it is launched in July.