A Call to End Unethical “Patient Brokering” in Addiction Treatment
- emcat55
- Dec 4, 2025
- 1 min read
The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Ethical Marketing Campaign for Addiction Treatment (EMCAT) and Collective Voice have issued a strong and urgent call: end the practice of patient brokering in addiction services.
Patient brokering involves paying referral fees or commissions to divert people into certain private rehab clinics - even when those clinics may not be the right clinical fit. It turns people in crisis into commodities, prioritising profit over their well-being.
As the LGA highlights, demand for treatment services has reached its highest level on record. With more people seeking help, the risk of exploitation grows.
Why it’s harmful
*People may be placed in unsuitable facilities.
*Costs can be inflated to cover commissions.
*Decisions are driven by who pays most, not who provides the best care.
*Ethical providers are pushed out by aggressive, financially driven marketing practices.
What needs to change
*The LGA, EMCAT and Collective Voice are calling for:
*A legal ban on patient brokering.
*Penalties for those who profit from it.
*A single, trusted national gateway for anyone seeking support.
*Greater support for public, NHS, and charity-led services that prioritise people over profit.
This is a crucial moment. People seeking help for addiction deserve transparency, safety, and care rooted in clinical need - not commercial manipulation. Ethical, person-centred treatment must become the norm across the sector.
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