I would be grateful if you would treat the following correspondence as a request for disclosure of the following information, under Freedom of Information law (FoI).

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) said upper tier local authorities should hold this information when I submitted a previous press enquiry and I believe OHID has recommended the systems about which I am asking questions below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-drug-and-alcohol-deaths-partnership-review-process/preventing-drug-and-alcohol-deaths-partnership-review-process. Description of information sought:

1. Broken down by name of substance/drug and calendar year, the number of non-fatal overdoses and near-fatal overdoses recorded in the calendar years 2023 and 2024
The local authority does not hold data regarding non-fatal and near fatal overdoses. We would suggest the requestor contacts Thames Valley Police, Royal Berkshire Hospital and South Central Ambulance Service to access available data.

2. Broken down by name of substance/drug and calendar year, the number of drug-related deaths recorded in the calendar years 2023 and 2024
Numbers of drug related death registrations by substance (including a breakdown by type of opiate) for England and Wales, 1993 to 2023, are available via ONS Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics refer to Deaths related to drug poisoning by local authority, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics to view the data.

3. Broken down by calendar year, the number of alcohol-related deaths recorded in the calendar years 2023 and 2024
Data is available on Fingertips around alcohol mortality here https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-alcohol-profile This shows alcohol-specific mortality count of 8 in 2023. Accessed 08/01/2025 on Fingertips.

4. Broken down by calendar year, the number of deaths in drug and alcohol treatment (including people who left treatment within 6 months of their death) recorded in the calendar years 2023 and 2024
1st Jan 2023 – 31st Dec 2023: 6
1st Jan 2024 – 31st dec 2024: 9
Accessed in January 2025 from local drug and alcohol treatment service.

5. Details of the membership of your local drug information systems (LDIS) panel and multi-agency/partnership panel to review cases of drug and alcohol-related deaths (DARDs) and non-fatal overdoses and near-fatal overdoses – does the panel have a lead officer and chair? How many members does each panel have (if they are distinct) and what are their expertise in relevant disciplines as per LDIS guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7483b440f0b616bcb1717c/Drug_alerts_and_local_drug_information_systems_guidance.pdf) medical, policing, pharmacology, drugs specialists, etc?

Name Role
Berkshire LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS Coordinator

Working with key stakeholders as outlined in guidance and in line with LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS/Professional Information Network. (Link to guidance above).

Coordination and communication arrangements should be activated according to LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS guidelines, including communicating safer drug messages and how and where to obtain Naloxone to services such as street outreach teams, housing, hostel providers, and primary care.

Attend multi-agency teleconferences/meetings to review plans in light of any new information and guidance.

Review the categorisation of threat as required based on updated intelligence.

In collaboration with relevant partner agencies e.g. housing, criminal justice service, street outreach teams, hostel providers, pharmacies, primary care, review the identification of vulnerable people in the area.

Thames Valley Police Coordinates drug alerts, deaths, and incident information to each Thames Valley LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS. During working hours, escalate high-risk incidents and will enable Police critical incident management where necessary
South East Regional Organised Crime Unit Analyses South Central Ambulance Service overdose hotspots and produces monthly mapping of hotspot locations. This data is shared among the LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS network.

Upon receipt of a drug alert or series of alerts Police will assess operational opportunities to enable the closure of the supply line causing harm.

Slough Director of Public Health Reviews Drug alerts for Slough and if necessary activates the local resilience forum via the Health and wellbeing board
Slough Drug and Alcohol commissioner Reviews Drug alerts for Slough and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and wellbeing board
Slough Drug service manager Reviews Drug alerts for Slough and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board – Communicates alerts to local Slough users and communities.
Royal Borough Windsor and Maindenhead Commissioner Reviews Drug alerts for ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and wellbeing board
Royal Borough Windsor and Maidenhead Drug service manager Reviews Drug alerts for ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board – Communicates alerts to local ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD users and communities.
Royal Borough Windsor and Maidenhead Drug and Alcohol Program Manager Reviews Drug alerts for ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and wellbeing board
Bracknell Public Health Representatives Reviews Drug alerts for Bracknell and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board – Communicates alerts to local Bracknell users and communities.
Wokingham Director of Public Health Reviews Drug alerts for Wokingham and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board
Wokingham Drug and Alcohol Commissioner Reviews Drug alerts for Reading and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board
Bracknell Director of Public Health Reviews Drug alerts for Wokingham and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board
Wokingham Drug Service Manager Reviews Drug alerts for Wokingham and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board – Communicates alerts to local Wokingham users and communities
Reading Director of Public Health Reviews Drug alerts for Reading and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board
Reading Drug and Alcohol Commissioner Reviews Drug alerts for Reading and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board
Reading Drug Service Manager Reviews Drug alerts for Reading and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board – Communicates alerts to local Reading users and communities
West Berkshire drug and alcohol Commissioner Reviews Drug alerts for West Berkshire and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board
West Berkshire Drug Service Manager Reviews Drug alerts for West Berkshire and if necessary activates the LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM via the Health and Wellbeing Board – Communicates alerts to local West Berkshire users and communities
South Central Ambulance Service SOUTH CENTRAL AMBULANCE SERVICE Control Room escalates out-of-hours incidents of concern to LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS Co-ordinator
Berkshire Coroners Coroners Officer – escalates new cases notified to coroner or toxicology reports of concern to LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS coordinator
Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum Thames Valley LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM Secretariat, TVLOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM, Joint Operations, Thames Valley Police, Headquarters South, Kidlington, OX5 2NX. Contact: Thames Valley LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM Secretariat Thames Valley LOCAL RESILIENCE FORUM Community Risk Register

Liaison and Diversion Criminal Justice Pathways, including prison service; assess and cascade alerts.
Chair and lead are the Berkshire LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS Co-ordinator

6. Details of the geographic area (eg is it limited to your council area or a larger area) covered by your multi-agency/partnership panel which reviews (a) drug-related deaths (b) alcohol-related deaths (c) deaths in drug and alcohol treatment (including people who left treatment within 6 months of their death) (d) near-fatal overdoses
Berkshire is the geographic area covered by the panel.

7. Name and description of the local partnership group into which that multi-agency/partnership panel reports eg combating drugs partnership (CDP).
CDP activity is reported to the Wokingham Community Safety Partnership and the local Health and Wellbeing Board.

8. Copies of, or a hyperlink to (if online), the terms of reference for your multi-agency/partnership panel
Please see attached

9. Broken down by calendar year and the name of the substances/drugs suspected to be involved in each death, the number of reviews your multi-agency/partnership panel carried out in the calendar years 2023 and 2024 for (a) drug-related deaths (b) alcohol-related deaths (c) deaths in drug and alcohol treatment (including people who left treatment within 6 months of their death) (d) near-fatal overdoses
A drug and alcohol death review is currently in process for 23/24 and this data is not readily available at this time.
Berkshire Coroner office supply the COMBATING DRUGS PARTNERSHIP with drugs suspected within a drug related death – the requester is advised to contact Coroner@reading.gov.uk for reliable up to date data.
Additional data may be available from The National Programme on Substance Use Mortality (NPSUM) | King's College London
For treatment data the requester is advised to contact Vikki Lake at vlake@cranstoun.org.uk

10. Copies of, or a hyperlink to (if online), any evaluation carried out in the calendar years 2023 and 2024 by your multi-agency/partnership panel of its impact/work
Not available at this time.

11. Copies of, or a hyperlink to (if online), any published records of findings and actions carried out by your multi-agency/partnership panel (such as an annual report) in the calendar years 2023 and 2024
Not available at this time.

12. Details of any data sharing process agreed with a coroner by your multi-agency/partnership panel – is a process agreed and what is the name of the coroner’s office(s) involved?
The coroner is a member of the Partnership panel.
Berkshire Coroners’ Office
Reading Town Hall
Blagrave Street
Reading RG1 1QH
Coroner@reading.gov.uk
0118 937 2300

13. Details of any notification process for near-fatal overdoses agreed with ambulance services, integrated care boards and/or hospital trusts by your multi-agency/partnership panel - is a process agreed and what are the names of the ambulance service(s), integrated care board(s) and/or hospital trust(s) involved?
There is no formal notification process in place for near-fatal overdoses agreed with ambulance services, integrated care boards and/or hospital trusts – this is currently being discussed at a Senior level.
SOUTH CENTRAL AMBULANCE SERVICE provides data each month to the COMBATING DRUGS PARTNERSHIP to map hotspot locations for each incident where Naloxone is administered. This mapping data is shared across the LOCAL DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEMS partnership to enhance harm reduction and outreach in these locations. This data can be obtained via this link https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/foi-ai/af/accessing-information/