Minister instructs local Chief Officers to implement MAT Standards to revised timetable

Minister for Drugs Policy Angela Constance has invoked Powers of Direction available to Scottish ministers under the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 to give a Ministerial Direction that will compel Integration Authorities, Local Authorities and Health Boards to implement the MAT Standards.  

Local bodies will produce local improvement plans to implement the Standards. These will be drawn up and signed by all local Chief Executive and Chief Officers who will have ‘shared and visible’ responsibility for implementing the Standards and who will name a local officer responsible for driving necessary change and reporting on progress to the Minister directly.   

This reporting will be done every three months – and every single month in areas where deaths are concentrated and MAT Standard 1, same day prescribing, has started to be implemented.