Service users and people in recovery have a key role to play in leading the development of local recovery-oriented drug treatment systems, Paul Hayes told Seize the day! DDN's 4th service user conference held in Birmingham last Thursday.

Hundreds had gathered to share their views and voice their concerns about recent policy proposals. There was a constructive, upbeat mood among delegates who, irrespective of how they identified with recovery process, talked about the need to come together to challenge stigma and to shape the next generation of recovery orientated services.

Mr Hayes said the government had set a clear direction of travel in the new Drug Strategy, but the delivery of recovery-orientated services in a locally-owned landscape was uncharted territory for the treatment field as a whole.

Talking about the place of drugs and alcohol treatment in the proposed new public health service, he said that bringing drugs and alcohol together under Public Health England (PHE) brought new opportunities and ended historic criticism of this split. He pointed out that proposals to locate directors of public health in Local Authorities are both an opportunity (to improve joint working) and a risk (for disinvestment in drugs and alcohol services).

With allocation of PHE's budgets to local authorities not due to start until April 2013, Mr Hayes made clear that Public Health England and the future drug and alcohol commissioning structures were still to be defined and that users, collectively, had a big role to play in shaping their future.

The NTA chief executive urged the audience to organise and actively engage now to ensure that they took an unprecedented opportunity to help shape tomorrow's recovery orientated services, Payment by Results pilots and ensure that local areas maintained investment.