New figures from Public Health Scotland reveal the latest drug and alcohol treatment waits data, showing that whilst most people seeking help for substance problems receive timely support, significant numbers still face delays beyond the government’s three-week target. Between July and September 2025, the statistics paint a complex picture of substance treatment waiting times across the nation.

Specialist services across Scotland received 11,444 referrals during this quarter. The data shows that nearly half of these referrals, 5,369 cases, involved problematic alcohol use, whilst 4,409 related to drug problems and 1,666 concerned co-dependency.

Drug And Alcohol Treatment Waits Performance Across Most Regions

The Scottish Government’s 2011 Standard requires that 90% of people referred for help should wait no longer than three weeks before starting specialist treatment. Nationally, community based services achieved a 94.7% success rate, with 6,674 out of 7,050 referrals meeting this timeframe.

However, the data reveals geographical disparities in drug and alcohol treatment waits. Two NHS Boards failed to meet the Standard for community services: Lothian managed 88.5%, whilst Highland reached 87.6%. These shortfalls mean hundreds of individuals in these areas experienced longer waits than the target allows.

How Different Substances Affect Treatment Waiting Times

When examining different substance types, services performed variably. For drug related referrals to community services, 96.6% met the three week target. Co-dependency cases achieved 94.6%, whilst alcohol specific referrals saw the lowest success rate at 93.3%, though still above the 90% threshold.

Prison based services faced greater challenges with substance treatment waiting times. Of 775 referrals to prison services, 618 involved drug problems, reflecting the high prevalence of substance issues within the prison population. Only 93.9% of prison referrals that started treatment did so within three weeks, with Tayside at 88.5% and Grampian at 74.1% falling below the Standard.

Understanding The Drug And Alcohol Treatment Waits Backlog

As of 30 September 2025, 2,236 community based referrals had not yet started treatment. Of these, 420 people, representing 18.7%, had already waited beyond the three week target. For prison based services, 20 referrals remained outstanding, with three individuals waiting longer than three weeks.

These figures highlight that whilst most people access support relatively quickly, a substantial minority experience substance treatment waiting times that exceed recommended timeframes. For someone struggling with addiction, every additional week waiting for professional help can be critical.

The Context Behind The Numbers

The data comes from the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy), which tracks referrals across Scotland’s 30 Alcohol and Drug Partnerships. These partnerships coordinate tier 3 and 4 specialist interventions, including structured community treatment and residential programmes.

Some services were excluded from this release. Shetland Islands couldn’t confirm their data accuracy within the required timeframe, South Lanarkshire didn’t meet minimum referral thresholds, and four specialist services provided incomplete information. This means the true picture of drug and alcohol treatment waits may differ from what’s reported.

What This Means For Communities

The quarterly statistics demonstrate that Scotland’s treatment infrastructure generally functions well, with the vast majority of people receiving timely support. The system handled over 11,000 referrals in just three months, processing thousands through to treatment.

Yet the data also reveals persistent pressure points. The regions failing to meet targets aren’t doing so marginally, they’re missing the Standard by several percentage points, affecting real people during vulnerable periods of their lives.

For those working in prevention and early intervention, these figures underscore the importance of reducing the need for specialist treatment in the first place. Every referral represents someone whose substance use has reached a point requiring professional help. Whilst effective treatment services remain essential, addressing the root causes that lead people to problematic substance use could reduce pressure on these services.

The continuing challenge around substance treatment waiting times in certain areas suggests resource allocation, staffing levels, or service design may require attention. As Scotland continues monitoring these quarterly figures, the focus must remain on both meeting the three week Standard universally and ultimately reducing the number of people requiring specialist intervention.

Source: dbrecoveryresources