National Mission Oversight Group minutes: September 2025

Attendees and apologies

• David Strang, NMOG Chair
• Maree Todd, Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy and Sport
• Justina Murray, CEO of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs
• Susana Galea-Singer, Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Lorraine McGrath, CEO Simon Community
• Steph McCutcheon, LLE / Each Recovery
• Tracey McFall, Scottish Recovery Consortium
• Eddie Follan, COSLA
• Donna McKay (deputy), Police Scotland
• Hannah Carver, Stirling University
• Emma Crawshaw, CREW2000

 

Also attended

• Ruth Glassborow (deputy,)Public Health Scotland
• Gareth Balmer (deputy), With You
• Elinor Jayne, SHAAP
• Laura Mahon, Alcohol Focus Scotland
• Sarah McKenzie, Public Health Scotland
• Joke Delvaux, Public Health Scotland
• Stephanie Morrison, Families Campaign for Change
• Susan Grant, Families Campaign for Change
• Richard Foggo, Scottish Government
• Maggie Page, Scottish Government
• Morris Fraser, Scottish Government
• Chloe Poole, Scottish Government
• Rachael McQueen, Scottish Government
• Stuart Henderson, Scottish Government
• Hannah Graham, Scottish Government
• Ross Henderson, Scottish Government
• Michael Crook, Scottish Government
• Alison McVeigh, Scottish Government
• Georgie Alford, Scottish Government
• Geraldine Smith, Scottish Government

 

Apologies

• Sandra Holmes, Lived and living experience representative
• Paul Johnston Public Health Scotland
• Joanne McEwan, Police Scotland
• Andy McAuley, Glasgow Caledonian University
• Sally Amor, Lived and living experience representative
• Kirsten Horsburgh, CEO of Scottish Drugs Forum
• Laura Wilson, Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Stephen McCulloch, With You
• Chris Williams, RCGP

Items and actions

Welcome and Governance

The Chair welcomed attendees, including deputies and the Minister.

The purpose of NMOG reiterated: to provide challenge, scrutiny, and advice to the National Mission.

Previous meeting minutes (19 June 2025) were formally approved and published.

Minister’s Reflections

Minister shared reflections from her first months in post:

Reaffirmed her commitment to reducing drug and alcohol-related deaths.

Highlighted visits to projects like Scheme Livi (creative workshops) and Springburn Ambulance Station (naloxone training and kit distribution).

Emphasized the role of the third sector and collaborative efforts.

Scottish Government (SG) Update

RF provided the SG update and highlighted key statistics including, latest drug death statistics and suspected drug death statistics.

RF also acknowledged shared delivery responsibility across services for implementation. Noted recent achievements included the Stop the Deaths Conference and Minister’s engagement with 4 Nations. Also noted progress on Glasgow drug checking pilots.

Highlighted the importance of .

• a rebalance towards health creation, resilience,
• recovery communities
• peer leadership when refining prioirtes for post 26.

Discussion Highlights

Emphasis on prevention and early intervention beyond treatment, especially in communities and the third sector.

Reflections noted on where we would be if current NFO pathways were not in place, and concerns raised over availability of drug testing kits.

Calls for increased compassion and accountability in public services, particularly NHS.

Minister stressed the importance of tackling stigma and improving organisational culture.

Noted that lack of compassion in NHS may reflect deeper systemic issues needing attention.

Presentation – Families Campaign for Change

Stephanie Morrison and Susan Grant presented their recent visit to Dublin.

Key points:

• Families Campaign for Change was founded in 2021 by mothers and families affected by alcohol and drugs.
• Reported on their international learning, including:
• Dublin’s community drug services which are fully integrated, community-led, and offer family-based, cultural, health, and harm reduction support.
• Quebec’s Health Equity Zones promote joined-up approaches with compassion and prevention.

Proposed the establishment of a Scottish Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Reform.

Called for an 18th UN Sustainable Development Goal on Compassionate Drug Reform.

Reiterated the need for a National Crisis Helpline for families and individuals.

Discussion – Families Campaign for Change

Questions were raised about the scope of compassionate drug reform - whether it includes alcohol and goes beyond drug possession laws. It was clarified that both alcohol and drugs should be considered, and participation is open to all.

Funding of Dublin’s service was discussed; it was noted that while challenges exist, funding is used in an integrated way with autonomy.

The role of the Local Authority in Dublin was explored, with clarification that the service was co-designed with partners and operates differently than in Scotland.

Presentation – Residential Rehabilitation (Public Health Scotland Update)

Joke Delvaux presented data of residential rehab expansion since the National Mission investment.

For capacity and uptake, there has been a 88-bed increase (+21%) since the start of the National Mission and growth mainly from new providers, with some private sector expansion.

For admissions, annual starts rose from 1,600 (2019/20) to 1,700 (2023/24) and publicly funded starts doubled from 500 to 1,000.

Scottish residents now make up 75% of rehab clients (up from 50%), showing reduced reliance on private clients from outside Scotland.

Anecdotally - more referrals and conversations about rehab; positive shift in attitudes among referrers; more individuals requesting rehab themselves; cultural change emerging in how rehab is viewed.

Review shows that longer stays linked to better recovery outcomes and alcohol rehab outcomes stronger than drug rehab.

Barriers include unmet mental health needs, stigma, detox access delays, and housing issues post-rehab.

RH outlined how emerging evidence will inform the 2026 plan:

• Rehab must be part of a broader care continuum (detox, aftercare, supported housing).
• Emphasis on prison-to-community transitions.
• Investment welcomed, but access remains uneven.
• Future priorities include better mental health integration, housing support, improved data systems, and consistent access via ADPs.

Discussion – Residential Rehabilitation

• Emphasis on the importance of peer support and recovery communities in successful transitions.
• Concerns raised about difficulties accessing rehab pathways and the need for wraparound care, especially housing support post-rehab.
• Agreement on the value of peer support and the need for rehab services to adapt to changing drug trends, including methadone-related barriers.
• Evaluation revealed some providers exploring non-abstinence-based models, though barriers remain.
• Questions raised about better use of prison settings to support transitions into community rehab.
• It was confirmed that a panel is supporting the design of the Prison to Rehab pathway, linking with prison recovery work.
• Positive feedback on the data presented and its potential to inform post-2026 improvements in outcomes and service design.

Presentation – Post-26: Next Stage

MP and RMQ delivered a presentation outlining the current progress on the Post-26 strategy.

Key points:

• Strategy is built on service renewal and population health frameworks with a long-term vision.
• Core objectives: prevent harms, improve lives, and reduce threats
• Approach is human rights-based, locally led, responsive, and sustainable.

Attendees split into two groups to discuss:

•Prevention, early intervention, and wider system

•Harm reduction, treatment, and care

Discussion – Post-26: Next Stage

Harm Reduction, Treatment, and Care

• There is broad support for expanding Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), though concerns remain about how to support individuals using substances that do not have established clinical treatment options. Services currently lack the capacity to provide same-day treatment for alcohol, highlighting the urgent need for clearly defined treatment standards in this area.
• National Drugs Mission Oversight Group: Minute of Meeting 14
• Families must be more visible and better integrated throughout harm reduction and treatment strategies. The group raised concerns about the lack of follow-up care after Alcohol Brief Interventions (ABIs), pointing to a gap in the treatment pathway. Additionally, there is concern that the current system is structured around service availability rather than actual demand, which may limit its effectiveness and responsiveness.
• The importance of the Public Health Scotland report on declining referrals was noted as a key piece of evidence. Participants also emphasised that language matters, particularly around the interpretation of terms like “recovery journey,” which may not resonate with all individuals or communities.

Prevention, Early Intervention, and Wider System

• There is a clear need for more detailed data on substance use, especially among younger people, to better inform prevention efforts. Prevention should be prioritised as the starting point of the system, with appropriate time and resources allocated to upstream interventions.
• Mental health support currently lacks clarity, particularly regarding the psychological interventions that could help prevent the development of drug and alcohol issues. The strategy’s framing and language should be inclusive and hopeful, reflecting a broader concept of wellness beyond recovery. Renaming the strategy to reflect a “journey to wellness” was suggested. Outcomes must be clearly defined and measured to drive improvement, and the strategy should address the root causes of harmful substance use. It was recommended to use terms like “at-risk groups” rather than “universal” or “selected” to better reflect the lived realities of those affected.
• Alcohol prevention requires a distinct approach from drug prevention, and this difference should be clearly articulated. It is essential to ensure that alcohol prevention work, such as ABIs, remains a priority. The group also discussed the stigma surrounding alcohol use and how it is perceived by health professionals, which may impact access to support.
• Whole-system issues were raised, including the need for the justice system to be part of a joined-up approach with clear accountability. Lived and living experience (LLE) should inform cross-government and whole-system work to ensure relevance and impact.
• The role of communities was strongly emphasised. Concerns were raised that the wider system is overly service-focused and lacks sufficient community-level data. Funding must be routed to communities to enable a genuinely community-led approach. However, it is important to avoid placing full responsibility for harm prevention on communities, particularly in relation to alcohol.

AOB and Close

Chair thanked attendees and extended well wishes to departing and incoming members of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and the Scottish Government.

Next meetings scheduled:

• 10 December 2025, 09:00–12:00 at St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh.
• 18 March 2026, 09:00–12:00.

Minister thanked the group, emphasizing the importance of continued engagement and feedback as the strategy is still in early development.