24 hours rehab

Call Now for Immediate Confidential Help and Advice 02038 115 619

24 hours rehab
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24 hours rehab

Call Now for Immediate Confidential Help and Advice 02038 115 619

24 hours rehab
Immediate Access for help and advice

Can You Get Rehab on the NHS?

When people call UK Rehab, it is our mission to assist them in their search for drug rehab help. Sometimes that assistance comes by way of private residential clinics, other times it comes by way of services offered by the NHS. We do our best to match services and programmes to each client’s unique circumstances.

Unfortunately, some clients call us expecting free and easy access to NHS rehabs. Nevertheless, the truth is that NHS services are not what most people think. They are certainly not as intense and concentrated as the treatments found at private residential clinics. They are not usually as successful either.

However, we need to take the time to discuss NHS rehabs and the services they offer if we are to provide you with all of the information you need. It wouldn’t be fair for us to simply dismiss the NHS as an option; especially since so many people need whatever help they can get – whether it’s public or private.

What the NHS Offers

Right from the start, it must be noted that the NHS does not operate any residential rehab clinics. The services they do offer are as follows:

  • medicated treatment through a GP
  • individual medicated detox
  • referrals to community-based organisations.

The only time the NHS gets involved in residential treatment is when a doctor decides to provide a referral to a private clinic. And while one would assume the success rates of private clinics would lead doctors to make more referrals, that simply is not the case. In the two years ending September 2012, more than a third of the UK’s 90 private clinics closed due to insufficient use.

If the NHS estimate of 2 million addicts in the UK is correct, there should be more clinics opening all over the country, not closing. So what’s the problem? The NHS no longer has the funding to make as many referrals as they used to. Simply put, it is a lot more difficult to get a referral these days. Every other option must be exhausted first.

In the absence of residential treatment, the NHS prefers a more generic approach that concentrates on management rather than complete victory. One example would be the increased effort by the government to treat heroin addicts by giving them methadone.

Methadone can be successful as an aid to medicated detox. Unfortunately, heroin addicts are being given methadone as a substitute for their illicit drug. That is not the same thing as addiction recovery. Rather, addicts continue their addiction through regular methadone prescriptions provided by the NHS.

A Better Way

We mean no disrespect toward the NHS or the dedicated people who work for them. However, there is a better way to deal with drug addiction than going to the NHS for help. Then better way is to access the care and treatment provided by a drug rehab private clinic.

If you have private health insurance, drug rehab treatment is likely covered. You will need to check the details of your plan to make sure. If you do not have private health insurance, there are still other options we can help you look into. For example:

  • Cash – It might be hard to believe, but residential treatment is not as expensive as you may think. For just a few thousand pounds, you could be well on your way to long-term recovery. All of the clinics we work with accept cash payments without question.
  • Credit Accounts – If you have an active credit card, you can pay for your treatment using it. You will pay interest this way, of course, but doing so is still better than continuing to live under the curse of addiction.
  • Personal Loans – You or a loved one might be able to arrange a personal loan from your bank to pay for treatment. It is true your bank might deny your request, but it never hurts to apply.
  • Family Gifts – If you can demonstrate to your extended family that you are committed to getting well, you might be pleasantly surprised to find they are willing to pool their financial resources in order to pay for your rehab. You may even have a number of very good friends willing to contribute as well.

Community Based Services

Should you find yourself unable to afford treatment at a private clinic, you need to know the NHS will direct you to community-based services as part of their rehab programme. Community-based services include things like support groups, local addiction recovery charities and counselling services. Your success or failure in NHS rehab will heavily depend on how many of these community-based services you take advantage of.

Also, keep in mind that you will continually face distractions including your home environment, your friends, and those very circumstances that enable your drug addiction. If you are going to try to rehab through the NHS then you are going to need to be single-minded and persistent in everything you do.

It will greatly help if your family and friends are willing to come alongside to hold you accountable. It is generally accepted within the addiction recovery community that supportive friends and family often mean the difference between success and failure with NHS rehab. Hopefully your friends and family will be willing to do whatever they can for you.

Let Us Help

Before you make a choice between NHS rehab and treatment at a private clinic, please call UK Rehab first. Our helpline is staffed by addiction recovery specialists who have access to all of the most up-to-date information regarding available services and facilities. Their job is to help assess your situation in order to direct you to the most appropriate treatment option.

We want you to know that all of our services are both confidential and free. Our mission at UK Rehab is to make sure you get the treatment you need to overcome addiction. We are not here to pass judgment on you and your family or lecture you over the phone. Our only desire is to help you recover.

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