MANAGERS of drug and alcohol treatment services in Ryedale, Scarborough and Whitby are putting the services out to tender.

Most of the adult drug and alcohol services in the area are managed by the North Yorkshire Substance Misuse Partnership Board.

This is a multi-agency partnership between NHS North Yorkshire and York, North Yorkshire County Council, North Yorkshire Police and the North Yorkshire Probation Trust.

The board currently commissions drug and alcohol misuse treatment services worth more than £1.3 million across the area from a range of different agencies.

It has decided to put these services out to tender – a process which is being led by NHS North Yorkshire and York.

Simon Cox, associate locality director at NHS North Yorkshire and York, said: “A tendering process will make it easier to implement an integrated treatment system with clear care pathways for service users.

“It will also introduce a single point of access to the service. This will make the service easier to access for service users and make it easier for family, friends, GPs and other professionals to refer people for treatment.

“The decision to go out to tender is not a reflection on the quality of the interventions and support currently being delivered.

“However, it is the role of the board to make sure the services we commission offer the best outcomes for patients and represent value for money.

“We believe tendering will help us achieve this.”

Seamus Breen, assistant director of health, reform and development at North Yorkshire County Council and chairman of the North Yorkshire Substance Misuse Partnership Board, added: “The Government’s 2010 Drug Strategy is very clear that authorities like us must commission modern and recovery-orientated substance misuse services.

“This tendering process gives us a great opportunity to put that in place.

“Ultimately, we hope the new system will offer a healthier and safer community for everyone in Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale.”

The board hopes to be able to announce its preferred bidder(s) as part of this procurement process in January 2012 and it is anticipated the new service provider(s) will be up and running by April 2012.

To find out more about the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Substance misuse tender visit www.northyorkshireandyork.nhs.uk