Report Summary
This report provides members of the Forensic Services Committee with an overview of HMICS Assurance Review of Forensic Toxicology Provision – Improvement Plan and Timeline.
To access the full document please open the PDF document above.
To view as accessible content please use the sections below. (Note that tables and some appendixes are not available as accessible content).
Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Forensic Services Committee - 28 October 2024
Date : 28 October 2024
Location : Online
Further Detail on Report Topic
On 13th July 2022, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Scotland (HMICS) published the Terms of Reference for their Assurance Review with the aim to ‘assess the state, efficiency and effectiveness of the arrangements in relation to the processes which are in place for obtaining, analysing and reporting toxicology samples obtained for Section 4 and Section 5A Road Traffic Act 1988 cases’.
HMICS has concluded their detailed Assurance Review and published their report on their findings on 25th April 2023. HMICS made 25 recommendations for improvement.
In response to the publication of the HMICS report, Forensic Services, SPA and Police Scotland developed action plans to address the recommendations where the organisations were the identified Action Leads.
Good progress continues to be made in terms of Forensic Services, SPA and Police Scotland addressing the recommendations, with nine recommendations closed by HMICS, to date.
Detailed updates were provided to the Forensic Services Committee on 30 October 2023, 05 February 2024, 07 May 2024 and 06 August 2024
Since the last Forensic Services Committee meeting, good progress has been made in relation to the recommendations, and further updates are provided to HMICS regularly, through the Strategic Oversight Board (last met 23 September 2024).
The appendix provides a summary of updates regarding recommendations since the previous report to the Forensic Services Committee.
