1. Recovery is the goal of substance misuse services and it should be recognised that there are many routes to that goal. The journey to recovery is a stepped approach including harm reduction, abstinence and strengthening recovery capital with a view to community reintegration, including stable housing and sustained employment.
2. Integrated services make for more effective services. One size does not fit all, and the best way forward is a person-centred approach which helps someone to stop taking drugs and to stay off them, while providing the support to enable previously unstable individuals to contribute to society. This means tackling the contributory factors of substance misuse too.
3. Local areas should be obliged to provide a balanced range of services which incorporate all aspects of the journey to recovery. Disinvestment within local provision will create costs in the long-term.
4. Alcohol specialists should be placed in all A & E departments who can identify dependent drinkers and get them into treatment quickly. Without this support, those people are likely to turn up to A & E again and again without having their needs addressed, also adding to NHS costs.