Building Connections and Striving to Build Better Futures: A Qualitative Interview Study of Alcohol Recovery Navigators’ Practice in the North East of England, UK

Domna Salonen, Amy O’Donnell, Katherine Jackson, Sarah Hulse, James Crosbie, Ryan Swiers, Fiona Tasker, Gemma Muldowney, Anna Pickford, Floor Christie- de Jong, Eileen Kaner and Emma-Joy Holland ()
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Domna Salonen: Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
Amy O’Donnell: Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
Katherine Jackson: Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
Sarah Hulse: North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Sunderland SR5 3XB, UK
James Crosbie: North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Sunderland SR5 3XB, UK
Ryan Swiers: North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Sunderland SR5 3XB, UK
Fiona Tasker: ReCoCo-Newcastle Recovery College, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6UF, UK
Gemma Muldowney: ReCoCo-Newcastle Recovery College, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6UF, UK
Anna Pickford: North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Sunderland SR5 3XB, UK
Floor Christie- de Jong: School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland SR1 3SD, UK
Eileen Kaner: Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
Emma-Joy Holland: Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: To address the holistic and continuity of care needs of people who attend North East hospitals frequently for alcohol-related reasons, Recovery Navigator (Navigator) roles were introduced into Alcohol Care Teams in six hospitals in the North East of England, UK, in 2022. The Navigators aimed to provide dedicated holistic support to patients experiencing alcohol harms, starting whilst in the hospital with the potential to continue this beyond discharge. This qualitative study explores the contributions that the Navigators make towards integrated alcohol care. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 7 patients, 1 carer, and 17 staff. We used reflexive thematic analysis and applied the concept of continuity of care and Self-Determination Theory. The findings suggest that all of the participants value Navigators having dedicated time to work with patients to address their social needs, that patients benefit from having someone who provides relational support and is ‘gently persistent’, and that most of the Navigators have good relationships with community providers and have supported the transition of patients to these services. Staff recognise the challenges of holistic alcohol care in hospitals, and the support of the Alcohol Care Teams and Navigators is seen as invaluable. Navigators help to address gaps in the provision of holistic support for patients who experience significant health inequalities.

Keywords: alcohol; mental health; health inequalities; care navigation; continuity of care; integrated care; alcohol care teams; qualitative research; self-determination theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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