National benchmarking report on implementation of the medication assisted treatment (MAT) standards

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland summarises findings from the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards Implementation Benchmarking Report 2025–26, published on 7 July 2026. It provides the final benchmarking update in the current reporting format and reviews progress across the five-year MAT programme.

The report assesses implementation of the 10 MAT standards across all 30 Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) in Scotland using process, numerical and experiential evidence. Benchmarking scores for several MAT standards for 2025–26 are based on updated assessment criteria introduced in October 2025 and are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.

This report has been developed iteratively over the course of the MIST programme, with measures reviewed and refined across reporting years. Following the conclusion of the National Mission and the publication of the new Scottish Government Alcohol and Drugs Strategy 2026-2035, the reporting format will be reviewed to ensure future outputs remain aligned with strategic and analytical priorities. 

We welcome feedback on this release, particularly where this may help inform the review of the future reporting format. Please contact the MIST team at phs.mist@phs.scot.

Main points

Over the five-year programme, there has been clear progress in embedding the MAT standards, particularly in access, treatment choice, outreach and retention. For the purposes of interpreting benchmark colour coding, please see RAGB tag in online dashboard (link below).

In 2025–26, 23 ADPs (77%) were assessed as green or blue for MAT standards 1, 2, 3 and 5.

For MAT standards 6 to 10, 14 ADPs (47%) were assessed as green or blue across all five standards.

MAT 4 showed more mixed results following the introduction of revised criteria on hepatitis B vaccination at the point of MAT delivery. Seventeen ADPs (57%) were assessed as green or blue and 13 ADPs (43%) as provisional green.

MAT 7 and MAT 9 remained the most challenging standards, reflecting reliance on wider system collaboration. Despite this, 87% of ADPs achieved at least provisional green for MAT 7 and 97% for MAT 9.

Experiential submissions showed progress in the use of Facts, Analysis, Identification and Review (FAIR), Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality (AAAQ) and Participation, Accountability, Non-discrimination, Empowerment, Legality (PANEL) frameworks to support a human rights-based approach and incorporate lived and living experience into service improvement.

The most common improvement priorities identified through the FAIR framework related to access, drug-related harms, advocacy, mental health support, communication and community engagement.

The report highlights continuing challenges relating to workforce capacity, short-term funding, reporting burden, remote and rural delivery, and the increasingly complex polydrug landscape.

Initial benchmarking submissions for Scottish prisons were completed in 2025–26, with a separate prison report planned for autumn 2026.

Background

The MAT standards were introduced in 2021 as part of Scotland’s National Mission to reduce drug deaths. They aim to improve the quality, consistency and accessibility of treatment and support for people affected by substance use.

The report is published in the context of continuing drug-related harms in Scotland. It notes that there were 1,017 drug-related deaths in 2024, while suspected drug deaths increased by 8% in 2025. It also highlights emerging concerns including polydrug use, drug contamination and nitazene-type synthetic opioids.

The publication reflects the policy context of Scotland’s new Alcohol and Drugs Strategy 2026–2035 and the National Specification for Alcohol and Drug Services. It is the final benchmarking report in its current format, with future work expected to focus on sustaining progress, strengthening local ownership and broadening MAT principles to reflect non-opioid and polysubstance use. Future updates on implementation progress in community settings will mainly be published through the on-line dashboard (see below).

Additional resources

We have produced an online benchmarking dashboard to accompany the benchmarking report that shows the progress with implementation of the MAT standards, using the RAGB status, across all 30 ADP areas in Scotland. 

Related publications including previous MAT Standards Benchmarking Reports, more information on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards​. The RADAR quarterly report, the Alcohol and Drugs Strategy 2026-2035 and the National Specification for Alcohol and Drug Services.