Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities on 3 December 2024 showing that the number of alcohol-specific deaths in England in 2023 was the highest on record; and what steps are they taking to reduce this number, particularly in the region of the North East region.

In 2023, there were 8,274 alcohol-specific deaths, namely deaths wholly due to alcohol, in England, which was an increase of 63.8% from 5,050 deaths in 2006 and a 4.6% increase since 2022. Most of these deaths are caused by alcohol-related liver disease. The North East of England has consistently seen the highest rate of alcohol deaths over the previous decade. Through our mission-driven Government, we will prioritise actions targeted at reversing this trend.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has an action plan to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths. Considering the recent data, this plan is being revised to ensure that it is grounded in the latest understanding of the drivers of drug and alcohol related deaths and responding to these. Last year the Department of Health and Social Care published guidance for local authorities and their partnerships on how to review adult drug and alcohol-related deaths to prevent future deaths. Additionally, OHID has published Commissioning Quality Standard: alcohol and drug services, providing guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services. This is available on GOV.UK in an online-only format.

In addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department of Health and Social Care allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. Future targeted funding for drug and alcohol treatment services beyond 2025 will be announced very shortly.

The Department of Health and Social Care will soon publish the clinical guidelines for the United Kingdom on alcohol treatment which will include recommendations on arranging access for appropriate testing for liver disease, providing health assessments and facilitating access to appropriate treatment for people with co-occurring alcohol problems and physical or mental health conditions, health promotion and harm reduction interventions. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work with all local areas to address unmet need and drug and alcohol related deaths, and to drive improvements in continuity of care. This includes the Unmet Need Toolkit which can be used by local areas to assess local need and plan to meet it.

In 2024/25, North East local authorities (LA) received £25.5 million to improve drug and alcohol treatment, recovery and inpatient detox provision. OHID is supporting LAs to use this funding to develop and improve services, including for people living with alcohol issues. All North East LAs have targets to increase the number of people receiving support for alcohol dependency from community treatment and access is increasing. The North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care System is collaborating to improve health and reduce health inequalities, including those associated with alcohol harm. A regional action plan, co-produced with all 12 Las, is in place and includes activity to strengthen alcohol harm prevention, harm reduction and recovery support.