Nottingham City Council has approved a £672,100 expenditure to extend the inpatient detoxification service contract known as ‘The Level’ for two more years.
The total funding of £672,100 for The Level inpatient service will be allocated over two years, from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026, drawn from the ring-fenced public health grant.
Nottingham has a notable substance misuse issue, with 3,909 individuals seeking treatment from Adult Substance Use Treatment services in 2022 according to figures, representing approximately 19% of the city’s estimated substance users.
Surveys from 2020 indicated that 9.4% of residents aged 16-59 reported drug use in the past year, equating to roughly 20,830 individuals, while 3.4% admitted to using Class A drugs, affecting about 7,530 residents.
The Level
Operated by Framework Housing Association, ‘The Level’ provides essential inpatient detoxification and stabilization services. The facility adheres to NICE Guidance (Clinical Guideline 52) and offers 24-hour medically led care, addressing complex substance use cases, often with co-occurring medical conditions. Services include:
Medical assessments
Stabilisation and detoxification/assisted withdrawal
Emergency crisis care
Psychosocial interventions
Overdose prevention training and naloxone provision
Health promotion and discharge planning
The maximum cost of this decision is £672,100 and will be incorporated within the Public Health medium-term financial plan.
This spending is by the conditions of the Public Health Grant.
If the Grant were to be reduced in future years, the service would need to realign services within the revised available funding limit to ensure that no financial pressure arises.
The decision seeks to modify an existing contract with Framework Housing Association.
The contract will be an initial one year with a possible one-year extension.
This decision is still subject to approval from the Spend Control Board.
Further approval will be required if there are any changes to the grant proposals or value outlined in this decision.
Financial Details:
- The annual contract value will increase from £285,525 to £336,050, enabling the service to maintain 1,175 bed days per year at a revised cost of £286 per bed day.
- This price adjustment reflects rising operational costs, including salary uplifts and inflation, while still offering good value compared to similar services elsewhere in the UK, where prices range from £308 to over £1,000 per bed day.
Broader Impact and Future Planning: The contract extension ensures that Nottingham City can continue to provide critical detox services without disruption. The city is also part of a consortia with other East Midlands local authorities, receiving additional grant funding from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). However, this funding is set to end on March 31, 2025, prompting a reduction of 30 available bed days for Nottingham City.
To address potential future funding uncertainties and avoid further bed day reductions, the City Council opted for a two-year extension, aligning with both local needs and financial prudence. The extended contract period will provide clarity on future consortia arrangements and funding post-2026.
Official Statements: The Council’s decision, not subject to the call-in procedure due to its urgency, was endorsed by Councillor Samuel Gardiner and other key stakeholders. The legal and financial advisories confirmed the decision’s compliance with public health grant conditions and value for money assessments.
