Deaths from drug misuse - ICP Outcomes Framework - Resident Locality

This dataset presents the age-standardised mortality rate from drug misuse across the population. It captures deaths where the underlying cause is linked to mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use (excluding alcohol, tobacco, and volatile solvents), as well as deaths involving poisoning by controlled drugs. The data is sourced from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and is intended to support public health monitoring and policy development aimed at reducing drug-related harm.

Rationale

The indicator is designed to track and reduce the mortality rate from drug misuse. Monitoring these deaths helps inform public health strategies, resource allocation, and interventions aimed at preventing drug-related harm and supporting individuals with substance use disorders.

Numerator

The numerator includes deaths where the underlying cause is coded to specific categories of mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use (excluding alcohol, tobacco, and volatile solvents), as well as deaths involving poisoning by drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. These include accidental, intentional, undetermined, and assault-related poisonings, as well as disorders due to volatile solvents.

Denominator

The denominator is the total population of the relevant age group, as recorded in the 2021 Census.

Caveats

There are limitations in the classification and reporting of drug-related deaths, including potential underreporting or misclassification in death records. The indicator may not capture all deaths indirectly related to drug misuse, and changes in coding practices or legal definitions over time may affect comparability.

External references

Public Health England - Fingertips: Deaths from drug misuse

Localities Explained

This dataset contains data based on either the resident locality or registered locality of the patient, a distinction is made between resident locality and registered locality populations:

• Resident Locality refers to individuals who live within the defined geographic boundaries of the locality. These boundaries are aligned with official administrative areas such as wards and Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs).
• Registered Locality refers to individuals who are registered with GP practices that are assigned to a locality based on the Primary Care Network (PCN) they belong to. These assignments are approximate—PCNs are mapped to a locality based on the location of most of their GP surgeries. As a result, locality-registered patients may live outside the locality, sometimes even in different towns or cities.

This distinction is important because some health indicators are only available at GP practice level, without information on where patients actually reside. In such cases, data is attributed to the locality based on GP registration, not residential address.

Click here to explore more from the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Partnerships Outcome Framework.