Drug-driving update

The latest version of the Toxicology Improvement Plan encompasses a range of work to develop further technical processes and to validate and utilise new instrumentation which is focused on building increased capacity within the laboratory and streamlining the analysis of Section 4 cases. A plan of training and development for staff is also under way which ensures that new staff joining the team are trained appropriately and swiftly as well as developing existing staff skills particularly to increase the capacity available to complete the complex reporting part of the process which has been a bottleneck.

Significant progress has been made in the delivery of the first version of the plan, which required toxicology staff to focus on planned improvements alongside providing some internal capacity for casework. To meet agreed levels of service the gap between demand and internal capacity was managed by outsourcing some cases to an external, private forensic services provider in England. These plans are underpinned by an expected level of demand that is set out in the agreed MOU with Police Scotland and COPFS.