Beyond definition
Recovery can mean whatever it needs to
With recovery sounding more mainstream every minute, GPs began their two-day conference in Harrogate eager to know what it meant (page 10). Audience members offered definitions at many of the sessions, but the resounding message from speakers was that one model definitely didn’t suit all and there was no handy generic patient to treat at the surgery. Recovery was a highly subjective concept and delegates agreed at the end of two days, through their consensus statement, that it should provide focus for whatever treatment journey and support each person needed. The important thing was to open up viable treatment options and make it possible for GP practices to liaise effectively with drug and alcohol workers, commissioners, pharmacists, housing workers, social services –as we all know should happen, but rarely does. With ‘joined-up’ working for maximum efficiency fully in fashion again, Westminster Drug Project tell us how they galvanised the process with their local partners (page 8); while on page 18 we report from the South East Alcohol Innovation Programme –an effective healthcare partnership in action. Both models ably demonstrate how they are keeping the service user at the heart of the process.
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