Putting Evidence into Practice: Mental health and substance use learning event, November 2025
Date
12 November 2025
Location
Edinburgh Futures Institute, The University of Edinburgh
Details
On Wednesday 12 November 2025, our Mental Health and Substance Use team hosted an in-person event in partnership with Drugs Research Network Scotland. The event focused on putting evidence into practice in relation to co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions in Scotland. Speakers included Mental Welfare Commission, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Scottish Recovery Consortium and people with lived experience, amongst others.
Contributors highlighted the important progress that has been made to date; whilst emphasising the need to engage with mental health and primary care services to continue to improve pathways. They also emphasised the importance of continuing the momentum so that gains are not lost as the national mission on drugs evolves.
Catch up on the event
If you were unable to attend the event, you can listen to the presentations from the morning of the event below:
Resources
Speakers
Maree Todd (video remarks)
Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy and Sport, Scottish Government
Clare Morrison
Director of Engagement and Change, Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Dr Lisa Schölin
Research Fellow at College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at The University of Edinburgh and co-convener of the Drugs Research Network Scotland
Dr Iain Smith
Consultant Psychiatrist, NHS Forth Valley, co-author of Rapid Review and member of CoSUM working group
Professor John Crichton
Medical Director, Mental Welfare Commission
Tracey McFall
Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Recovery Consortium
Professor Thomas Phillips
Director of The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Research, University of Hull
Katy MacLeod
Research and Peer Engagement Programme Manager, Scottish Drugs Forum
Dr Anna Ross
Lecturer, School of Health in Social Science
Beata Ciesluk
PHD Candidate, University of the West of Scotland
John Mooney
Public Health Consultant, Medication Assisted Treatment Standards Team, Public Health Scotland
Dr Carey Lunan
GP Chair of the Scottish deep end project, and senior medical advisor to Scottish government on health inequalities and mental health, Scottish Deep End Project; Scottish Government
Professor Susanna Galea Singer
Clinical Lead & Consultant Psychiatrist, NHS Fife Addiction Services; Chair, Faculty of Addictions Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, UK
Dr Robin Moore
Clinical Lead, Mental Health and Substance Use Protocol Programme, Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Julia Martineau
Primary Care Programme Manager, Dundee HSCP
Dr Rajendra Raman
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, NHS Fife
Dr Jane Grassie
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, NHS Fife
Natalie Manly
Community Development Officer, Scottish Recovery Consortium
Natalie Logan
CEO, Sustaining Interventions Supporting Change Outside
Allan Houston
Senior Addiction Worker, North West Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service, Glasgow City HSCP