As noted previously Collective Voice strongly welcomes Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review of Drugs and its call for increased funding. In conversation with some colleagues we have noted confusion as to the headline amount called for by the author. We offer a short clarification below.
The report notes the current baseline spend from the Public Health Grant (PHG) stands at £680m. Dame Carol recommends yearly totals of additional spend as noted below, rising from £119 million in year 1 to £552 million in year 5. Separate, additional monies from the Department of Work and Pensions are recommended to fund employment support.
| Baseline PHG spend (£m) | Additional treatment funding (£m) | Additional DWP funding for employment support (£m) | |
| Year 1 | 680 | 119 | 6.2 |
| Year 2 | 680 | 231 | 11.4 |
| Year 3 | 680 | 396 | 16.5 |
| Year 4 | 680 | 484 | 15.9 |
| Year 5 | 680 | 552 | 15.1 |
| Total | New money over five years: | 1,782 | 65 |
Read Part Two of the Independent Review of Drugs, Collective Voice’s joint response with Adfam, the NHS APA and the ESUCG, and our recent blog on what we think should come next following the Government’s initial response to the Black Review.
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