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Bayberry Clinic |
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Why a dedicated service for health care professionals? Our experience and research has shown that impaired health care professionals
in the UK (and in many other countries) are a marginalised group in terms of treatment options.
It is known that the prognosis for addicted health professionals - given the appropriate therapeutic setting - is higher than that of other addicted groups. This has been evidenced by longitudinal research in the USA where, with the exception of two states, every medical board has access to a dedicated recovery/rehabilitation service for its members. In 2008 the British Medical Journal published a research study by McLellan, Skipper, Campbell and DuPont evaluating the effectiveness of 16 US state physician health programmes in treating physicians with substance use disorders. They carried out a retrospective, longitudinal, cohort study over five years. About three quarters of US physicians with substance use disorders managed in these programmes had favourable outcomes at five years. BMJ 2008; 337; a2038 The factors related to these successful outcomes involve: * Referral to dedicated residential programmes of ideally 12 weeks minimum * Five years aftercare support and monitoring * Independent from licencing/regulatory boards The National Clinical Assessment Service (NCAS) also recognises the need for greater support for impaired health care providers. This type of dedicated support is seriously overdue in the UK when compared to the fact that programmes dedicated to supporting health practioners have been running for 30 years in the USA and CANADA.
Annual NCAS Conference Report on supporting the health of health practitioners |
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Given the effectiveness
of US state physician health programmes the NCAS conference in 2008 has led to the development of the NHS pilot
project: The Practitioners Health Programme (PHP). This is a service for medical and dental practitioners living or working
within the London Strategic Authority area with mental, physical or addiction concerns. It is an outpatient service but can
refer practitioners to residential services. At present Bayberry is the only dedicated residential rehabilitation service in
the UK for Healthcare professionals, including nurses, veterinarians, associated Healthcare professionals and Healthcare
trainees.
When PHP was launched Bayberry was still in its developmental phase and with PHP aiming to roll out the programme nationally Bayberry would be ideally positioned in supporting this by providing a dedicated, confidential rehabilitation service for practitioners requiring more intensive and long-term rehabilitation. Our dedicated service provides: * A highly qualified and experienced multidisciplinary team * High emphasis on the need for confidentiality * Unique opportunity for Healthcare Professionals to be treated among their peers * Medical assessments and reviews conducted at the clinic * Extended care * Bact to work support * Participation in a monthly meeting of Healthcare Professionals in further along in their recovery * Non institutional- warm and welcoming community setting * Family programme * Five years comprehensive aftercare  |