Hope for the lost and sick (8)
I believe the answer is:
recovery
'hope' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't see how one could define the other.
I can't explain the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for recovery that I've seen before include "A return to original state, health say" , "Salvage" , "Improvement" , "A return to good health" , "Recuperation after illness" .)