The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System South West (NDTMS-SW) is based within the South West Public Health Observatory's Bristol Office. It is part of a national network initially set up by the Department of Health in 1989 to monitor drug service provision throughout England. Coordination of the data collection, collation and reporting is carried out from this office.

The team has been commissioned to provide drug treatment data to the National Treatment Agency (NTA) both regionally and nationally. To fulfil this function the NDTMS collects data from a wide variety of drug treatment services in the South West, statutory (NHS) services including inpatient units, non-statutory (street) services, and residential rehabilitation units. These data are used to monitor the progress of South West drug services in achieving treatment targets set out in the Government's 10-year drug strategy (2008) and Models of Care (2002).

The NDTMS-SW is also commissioned by the Home Office to gather data from the community-based non-intensive, Drugs Intervention Programmes (DIP) in the South West and from all DIP projects in Prisons in the South West and Wales.

The unit also provides information and planning support to Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs) and other key stakeholders in the South West.

From April 2008, the team will collect data on alcohol misuse among clients in drug treatment in the region.

For a list of NDTMS publications and resources, including the quarterly data reports, see NDTMS Resources.