‘Patient brokering’ in the rehabilitation sector refers to the practice of third parties managing or directing people to specific treatment facilities in exchange for financial compensation, such as referral fees.
The Committee of Advertising Practice has today [Thursday, 20 August 2026] published an enforcement notice to prevent patient brokering services from intentionally misleading people seeking support with their drug or alcohol use.
Kirsten Horsburgh, Chief Executive Officer at Scottish Drugs Forum, says:
“Patient brokering services seek to profit from people at what may be one of the most vulnerable points in their lives. These companies have been shown to deliberately mislead people seeking support, giving the impression that they are affiliated with the Care Quality Commission and NHS, and presenting call handlers as ‘addiction counsellors’ or ‘specialists’ when, in reality, they are salespeople.
“This lack of transparency means people may be directed towards expensive facilities because they generate higher referral fees, rather than because they can provide the best support.
“We welcome action by the Committee of Advertising Practice to tackle false claims made by patient brokering services and require them to be clear about their commercial interests. People seeking help with drug or alcohol use should be able to make informed choices about their care, without being misled or exploited for profit.
“However, it must be recognised that patient brokering has been able to flourish because our healthcare system does not consistently provide people with accessible, timely support and treatment. If we are serious about putting an end to this exploitative practice, we must strengthen and simplify the routes to support.
“To do this, the Scottish Government must increase investment in treatment and support services in communities across Scotland. These services must have the capacity to respond quickly, offer a genuine choice of evidence-based options, and be easy to navigate.
“At the same time, more must be done to tackle the stigma people often experience when seeking help in traditional healthcare settings, such as from their GP. People must feel able to ask for help without fear of judgement.
“We should recognise that asking for help can take tremendous courage. When people reach out, they must not be faced with closed doors, long waits, a complicated system, or a company that seeks to profit from them. They must receive the right support, at the right time, from services they can trust.”
You should not have to pay for drug and alcohol support or treatment in Scotland. If you want support, your first step should be to contact your local drug and alcohol service. You can find their details – and details of other local services – on our directory.