ABSTRACT
Patients and their families do not live in some kind of vacuum – even though some clinicians treat them as if they did. We live in neighbourhoods, with corner shops and community centres. We visit temples, synagogues, mosques or churches. Our social support network includes friends, schools, youth clubs and other settings. Members of the primary care team usually have good knowledge of local resources, whether mother and toddler groups, or the local Newpin or Surestart initiatives. There may be family centres, lunch-time clubs for the elderly or groups for people with special issues. Clinicians who think ‘systems’ may well prefer these resources to medication or formal counselling.
