Annual reports and policies

The Annual Director of Public Health Report

Every year the Director of Public Health at Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster Council produces a report which focuses on a key public health issue in the 2 boroughs. The aim of the report is to highlight a specific area of concern and make recommendations for change.

The focus of the 2023 annual report is drug and alcohol (or substance) misuse.

You can read a summary below but for more detail, we encourage you to read the report in accessible PDF format at the bottom of this page.

If you or someone you know is affected by drugs or alcohol, please visit our health page for more information about accessing treatment.

The issue

Substance misuse is a particular issue in Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster, partly influenced by our thriving night-time economies and high rough sleeper population.

Substance misuse causes a wide range of physical and mental health problems, as well as impacting families, friends and local communities.

What we are doing

One of our key initiatives is the Combatting Drugs Partnership (CDP), led by our Director for Public Health, Anna Raleigh. The CDP creates links between individuals and organisations affected by drugs. It helps us understand how drugs cause harm on a local level, identifies any challenges our systems face and how we can overcome them, and provides support for users with complex needs.

The CDP focuses on 3 priority areas which reflect the needs of our residents as well as local contextual factors:
•   Children and young adults
•   The criminal justice system
•   Older opiate and crack cocaine users

Please read the full report for more detail on each of these areas.

Our services and impact

We have a wide variety of drug and alcohol support and prevention services available. The videos below introduce some of these services and how they can make a positive impact on local communities.

In 2021, there were 723 people in treatment for drug misuse and 259 for alcohol in Kensington and Chelsea. In Westminster, the number of users in treatment is 1,011 and 395 respectively.

We have higher rates of people successfully leaving treatment than the London and England averages.

You can read more about our services and impact in the report below.

If you or someone you know is affected by drugs or alcohol, please visit our health page for more information about accessing treatment.