FOI002583 FOI Public Health

Short Description
Chemsex-related Services, Policies, and Pathways
Reference number
FOI002583
Date
15/01/2026
Request

1.    Policies and Strategies

a.    Does the local authority have any policies, strategies, or guidelines that specifically reference any of the following (please put an X for Yes or No for each):

Reference    Yes    No    b. If Yes, please provide 1. the title(s), 2. publication date(s) and 3. a copy of, or public link to the document
Chemsex            
Sexualised drug use            
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) / gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) use            
Crystal methamphetamine use            
Mephedrone use            
LGBTQ+ health issues            


2.    Services and Support

a.    Does your local authority commission or fund any services that provide support specifically for any of the following (e.g. harm reduction, sexual health, mental health, or community support) (please put an X for Yes or No for each):

Reference    Yes    No    b. If Yes, please provide 1. the name(s) of the services(s), 2. provider organisation(s), 3. duration of the current contract(s), and 4. Whether the service is delivered as part of a wider contract (e.g. drug and alcohol treatment, sexual health services)
Chemsex            
Sexualised drug use            
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) / gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) use            
Crystal methamphetamine use            
Mephedrone use            
LGBTQ+ health issues            

c.    For those that you stated no to for question 2a above, are the following issues supported under existing services (e.g. general drug and alcohol services, sexual health clinics)? Please put an X for Yes or No, or mark Not Applicable if you said Yes for question 2a above).

Reference    Yes    No    Not applicable    d. If yes, please identify which services would typically manage such cases.

Chemsex                
Sexualised drug use                
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) / gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) use                
Crystal methamphetamine use                
Mephedrone use                
LGBTQ+ health issues                

3.    Pathways and Referral Processes

a.    Does the local authority or its commissioned services have a care pathway or referral protocol for any of the following (please put an X for Yes or No for each):

Reference    Yes    No    b. If Yes, please provide a copy of the pathway/protocol or a brief description if a document is not available
Chemsex            
Sexualised drug use            
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) / gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) use            
Crystal methamphetamine use            
Mephedrone use            
LGBTQ+ health issues            

c.    Are there any joint working arrangements or data-sharing agreements between drug and alcohol services, sexual health services and mental health services specifically relating to chemsex or sexualised drug use? Please state Yes or No.

d.    If Yes to question 3c, please provide details or copies of relevant agreements (if not exempt).

4.    Data and Monitoring

a.    Does the local authority or its commissioned services collect data on service users presenting with chemsex or sexualised drug use issues? Please state Yes or No. Note: we recognise that there are no ICD-10 codes or nationally recognised format to record chemsex or sexualised drug use related issues therefore if this information is collected within your local authority, it would be through a unique system that was set up locally.

b.    If Yes to question 4a, please indicate:
o    Which service(s) collect this data;
o    What indicators or categories are used (e.g. “chemsex,” “GHB use,” “sexualised drug use”);
o    The total number of clients recorded under those indicators for each of the last three years (if available).

c.    If No to question 4a, please confirm whether there are any plans to include it in future data collection systems or reporting frameworks. Please state Yes or No.

d.    If Yes to question 4c, please provide any documents related to these plans or state any details about the future plans (e.g. when it will start, what data will be collected and from what services etc)

5.    Additional Context

a.    Please provide any publicly available reports, needs assessments, or evaluations produced or commissioned by the local authority since 2020 that include information about chemsex or sexualised drug use, GHB/GBL, crystal methamphetamine, mephedrone use or LGBTQ+ needs.