This report presents the results of the first data linkage between the Home Office Homicide Index (HI) and the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS), which is owned by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). DHSC’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) carried out this linkage as a proof of concept and to better understand the relationship between homicide and substance misuse treatment. In English law, the offence of homicide is an act resulting in the death of another person. It includes murder and manslaughter.

The data linkage explores the use of substance misuse services by victims and suspects of homicide. We intend that this report’s findings will contribute to part of the evidence base for homicide prevention policy.

The report is official statistics in development and is part of the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) cross-government programme led by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).

The NDTMS extract extended to March 2022, a year beyond the HI extract, to enable us to analyse suspects after the homicide.