DrugsHelp.info

Home Page > Professionals > Professional Links > Treatment agencies

Home Page
Contact Us
Our Services
Professional Links

Treatment agencies
User Groups and Organisations
Addiction Charities
Information and Professional Journals
Professional Societies
UK Government Documents
Documents and Reports of non-Govermental Organisations
UK Law relating to the Addictions
Campaigning Organisations

Treatment agencies

Treatment for the addictions are provided by a number of organisations.

We list as many treatment providers as we can at any one time. Please note that we do not vouch for the quality, competence or even reputability of the treatment services listed here.

Tobacco

Each locality in the UK has a Primary Care Trust (PCT) responsible for the provision of NHS smoking cessation services. You can find your local PCT smoking cessation service with this link or you can ring 0800 169 0 169.

There are a variety of private service providers.

Our parent company, Sure Care Solutions Ltd., provides 'donesmoking', the Sure Care Smoking Cessation Service. This is a comprehensive service, comprising a range of treatments, to help people to stop smoking.

Many individuals offer a range of individual services, such as acupuncture or hypnotherapy. Advertisements can often be found in local newspapers.

Smoking Cessation Providers include

NHS

'donesmoking'

Alcohol

NHS treatment for alcohol addiction is sporadic. Some GPs are willing to supervise medical detoxification and detoxification may occur by default following an admission to a general medical or general psychiatric ward. However, in such circumstances, there may be no awareness of other services for alcohol addiction and a comprehensive treatment plan may not be made

Admission to NHS detoxification wards cannot be arranged directly but requires confirmation of funding from the local commissioner in the PCT.

Private services are readily available for both detoxification and rehabilitation, but you should be aware that UK medical insurance companies often exclude the addictions from cover. Sometimes, people claim that they are being treated for another condition which is subject to medical insurance cover, such as depressive illness. You should be aware that medical insurance companies may regard such misrepresentation of the diagnosis as fraudulent.

It is important to remember that each treatment episode may play a part in the recovery from addiction over years and that those funding treatment (either through statutory funding or private funding by an individual, a relative, an employer or other 3rd party funder) should try and understand the role (as far as is known) of a treatment episode before committing funds for such treatment. This is particularly important if funds are very limited.

A list of treatment providers is available at the end of this page

Drugs

The NHS has a special health authority, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, which has the responsibility to oversee the provision of treatment for users of illicit drugs in accordance with the Government's Drug Strategy. It provides a link to the DrugScope Helpfinder, which Drug Scope says "enables you to search for organisations providing specialist treatment for drug users, their families and friends" in the UK.

NHS treatment is commissioned by the Primary Care Trust, on the advice of the Drug Action Team, a local structure under the authority of the Home Office. The Government's Drug Strategy particularly targets criminal activity to fund a drug habit, and so the selection of treatment centres is skewed to meet this aim.

Treatment can also be funded by the Drug Interventions Programme .

Rehabilitation is often funded by the Local Authority, usually through its Social Services Department.

Those using private funds are advised to consider the role of the treatment episode in the patient's recovery before committing large sums, especially if funds are limited (see above under Alcohol).

List of alcohol and / or drug treatment providers

We provide here a list of treatment providers, for access. As the site is still in the process of being developed, we make this list available before being able to bring some distinction between the providers. Please click on the link to be taken to the web page of the treatment agency.

If you are trying a treatment resource 'on spec', you may wish to ask the provider the following questions:

Do you offer residential or community treatment?

Are you NHS or private?

What premises do you have?

What is your therapeutic model?

How long is your course?

What staff do you have (doctors [specialist or GP], nurses [general or mental health], drug workers, complementary therapists)?

How much do you charge?

Who pays and how?

How long is the programme?