Magazine Archive 2009

One way, or another Let’s make sure we spend on treatment that works. Of course it makes sense to spend money on what works, and this...

See you in Brum! (If we can tear ourselves away from the new website) A happy new year to you, and this month brings us to...

Keep listening Why the minister must stay in touch with his troops. If the enthusiasm and commitment of those involved were a guarantee of success, then...

What’s up doc? Being an ‘agent of change’ is not the easiest job. The SMMGP conference – the event for Substance Misuse Management in General Practice...

Off the scale The Prof Nutt row is obscuring the real issues. The row over sacking Professor David Nutt has become intensely personal, to the point...

When credit’s due Small steps could help cash in on long-term results ‘Because of small and avoidable money problems, people’s treatment either stalled or stopped.’ This statement...

Closing the gaps Services must link to provide a stronger net. ‘We asked for help and ended up blamed.’ Sue Foreman’s story gives harrowing insight into...

Life and death Harm reduction at international level goes beyond choice One slightly built young woman trembled on the platform at the International Harm Reduction Conference. She...

Unhealed wounds When to call for more than a sticking plaster. The statistics relating to frequency of sexual abuse are horrifying in their own right. But...

Back to our roots Why sustaining growth is a personal business. With all this talk of recession threatening to get us down, it’s time to focus...

Beyond the squeeze Don’t let recession kill the drive to innovate. Innovating in times of uncertainty can be a pretty tall order, particularly if management is...

Voicing choices One day in Birmingham – and we were all ears. There’s a lot in this issue and it’s been hard work to put together...

Trial by public The importance of not playing to the gallery At this year’s DDN/Alliance service user involvement conference back in January, one of our speakers reported...

Culture of ideas Inspiration or madness? Variety is the spice of life! Looking at our letters page this issue reminds me why I enjoy working on...

A bar too far? Employers could think twice about hiring ex-users Welcome to our first issue after the summer break – it’s good to be back!...

New ideas for old Try something new... but remember what already works. Hunting through the woods blindfolded while pretending to be a wolf sounded pretty daft...

Voicing choices Our second service user gathering was even livelier! If you came to Birmingham for our Voices for Choices conference last week, thank you for...

Goal of recovery Kicking the habit with sheer enthusiasm. What does ‘recovery’ mean to you? Come on, you must have an opinion – it’s been the...

On the lookout Can we always see the obvious routes to improvement? A story in the papers this week reported that surgeons would be required to...