Safe & Expert Addiction Treatment & Detox
This is a page of information and advice for patients in England wishing to travel to Smarmore Castle for addiction treatment and to claim reimbursement from the NHS in England.
Patients must be ordinarily resident in England and therefore entitled to NHS care. It will be necessary to prove residency and supporting documents will be needed as proof. An up-to-date bank statement combined with a local council tax bill or a utility bill would be best. If a bank statement is not available, a local council tax bill alongside two forms of documentation will be needed such as a pay slip, NHS letter or letter from the employer. All documentation submitted must be current i.e. within 3 months. If these requirements present any problems, then please contact us for further advice.
The treatment must be available under the NHS. We have established that Smarmore Castle provides treatment to which you could be entitled since there are NHS facilities where equivalent treatment is available in England.
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As part of your application, you must have written support from a clinician within the EU or EEA. The team at Smarmore Castle is able to provide this for you. It will mean an interview conducted by telephone or video-conferencing (e.g. from your laptop or tablet). This will include a full medical assessment providing the diagnosis and treatment recommendation. It will be necessary to obtain medical information from your GP or other specialists you may have been attending in England. Alternatively, this assessment can be conducted in person at Smarmore Castle or at Castle Craig Hospital in Scotland.
Once the proof of residency and the clinical assessment have been established and there is availability at Smarmore Castle we can be ready to agree to your admission for treatment.
A patient normally pays Smarmore Castle for the treatment costs themselves and is reimbursed by the NHS after treatment up to the equivalent cost in the NHS. There may be exceptions to this if the patient cannot afford this upfront payment. We are available to assist you with your application for reimbursement from NHS England.
Further benefits of considering treatment at Smarmore Castle Private Clinic include the ease of travel between England and Ireland. Insurance is not needed when traveling to the Republic of Ireland. Smarmore Castle carries full liability insurance and all professional staff is registered with their appropriate regulatory body. All staff has been cleared to care for vulnerable patients. All the demanding regulatory standards together with protocols and procedures which are in place at Castle Craig in Scotland are also applicable under EU law to Smarmore.
As a general note, your aftercare requirements and family therapy can be provided by video conferencing.
Applying for Admission & Reimbursement – via the Cross Border Directive
- Pre-assessment screening with Smarmore Castle staff members to assess eligibility for cross-border admission;
- Medical assessment by Smarmore doctor and information from your GP.
- Admission confirmed and arranged.
- Following treatment, the application form was completed and submitted to the National Contact Point in England.
- Application authorised and decision confirmed within 21 days.
Referrals via Cross-Border Directive
If you are a clinician who wishes to refer a patient under the EU cross-border healthcare directive, then please contact our admissions department, and we can discuss this funding option further with you.
More information about the EU cross-border healthcare directive is available on this page.
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