Dr David McCartney is currently the Clinical Lead at Lothians & Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP), a partnership NHS/Council/Voluntary sector project for patients living in the Lothian area. LEAP is a quasi-residential treatment initiative with twenty substance dependent individuals in active treatment and around 45 attending aftercare at any time. The service embraces an integrated bio-psycho-social approach to addiction and recovery. David’s background is in inner city general practice in Glasgow, but he retrained in addictions and now works exclusively as a GP with a special interest in addictions. Previously a tutor on the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Substance Misuse Management course, David has recently completed a Master’s degree in Alcohol and Drug Studies researching how doctors recover from dependent drug use. He is interested in the neurobiology of addiction, the place of mutual aid and recovery communities in recovery and also in recovery-oriented treatment approaches to treating those with addictive disorders. David enjoys teaching patients, medical students, postgraduate students and primary care practitioners on these subjects. Dr McCartney is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, a director of the Recovery Academy and a fellow of the RSA. From time to time he blogs on ‘Wired In’ and writes elsewhere on the subjects of addiction and recovery.