Why Choose Castle Craig?
4. Privacy in 50 acres of beautiful countryside.
5. 30 years of expertise and over 8,000 patients treated.
6. Recognised by other experts.
7. Over 90% patient satisfaction rate.
8. Full time Consultant Psychiatrist and team of specialist doctors.
9. We innovate – we follow new evidence based treatment, and we conduct our own research.
10. Quick assessment and admission.
11. Recognised by major health insurers.
12. Each patient matters to us – even after treatment.
1. Our treatment is proven to work - 24 years, 8,000 patients and consistently high success rates.
No treatment centre exists for 24 years without offering treatment that genuinely works. Over 8,000 patients have passed through our doors since 1988, and of those who completed their treatment a majority have gone on to achieve long-term abstinent recovery from their addiction. Our most recent independent research shows 66% of our patients achieving long-term abstinence, and 84% living with reduced alcohol or drug use.
Our treatment – unlike many others – is independently and scientifically proven to work.
2. We offer more.
Castle Craig is extensively resourced. We believe there is nothing lacking in our service that would be of significant benefit to our patients. From full medical management and in-house staff training, to an exceptionally wide range of complementary therapies – including drumming therapy, equine-assisted therapy, art group and hyperbaric oxygen therapy – we don’t skimp on the extras – and we don’t charge extra for them. Read our “40 steps to the Ideal 12 Step programme.”
Staff at Castle Craig also focus on the underlying causes of the addiction. Many people who suffer from addiction have other mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder which also need to be treated. We get to the root of the problem. We carry out mental health assessments and personalised care plans, combined with a wide range of interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), group therapy, family therapy and mindfulness therapy.
3. We cost less.
As of March 2011, Castle Craig’s treatment cost up to 35% and 20% less than our closest competitor treatment centres. Please contact us directly for current rates and packages. The cost of residential rehab is unavoidably expensive, but we do what we can to ameliorate the costs and help people to pay. Castle Craig is almost unique among treatment centres in the UK by not charging for extras. The cost of treatment is all-inclusive. Castle Craig takes a stand against working with referral agencies or therapists who operate by receiving backhanders or bribes for referrals.
4. Privacy in 50 acres of beautiful and inspiring countryside.
Castle Craig is situated in 50 acres of private woodland, guaranteeing you privacy, inspiration and tranquility as you recover. Our private grounds enable us to offer green therapy, horticultural therapy and outdoor fitness activities.
In the beautiful hills and woodlands of the Scottish Borders, patients are blessed with a freedom and detachment from the outside world, yet we are easily accessible being located only 40 minutes door-to-door from Edinburgh International Airport. Once you arrive through the entrance, and drive up the private country road into the estate, no other houses or roads can be seen ensuring privacy and confidentiality. The air is fresh and clean, wildlife, trees and plants are everywhere and the private water supply comes straight out of the surrounding hills – it is good enough to bottle.
5. 30 years of expertise and over 8,000 patients treated.
Castle Craig was founded, and is run by Peter and Dr. Margaret Ann McCann who are two of the UK’s leading experts in the field of addiction treatment. They founded their first treatment centre (Clouds House, Wiltshire) in 1983 and also founded EATA (European Addiction Treatment Agency) in the early 1990s. Castle Craig is represented on the Board of the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions by Peter McCann.
Our medical team includes internationally recognised experts in the field of addictions including Dr. Margaret Ann McCann, MB BCh, BAO (Medical Director), Dr. Florian Kaplick, PhD (Consultant Psychiatrist), Dr. Robert James Craig, MB, ChB, M Phil, FRC Psych (Consultant Psychiatrist) and Dr. Michael McCann, MD, MA, DIH, MFOM (Board Member).
Our therapy team is led by Gordon Hogg and Tom Bruce (USA) and training is conducted by Dr. Glynis Read, PhD. Our team of therapists includes many expert specialists including Linda Hill and Lee Taylor.
6. Recognised by other experts.
Dr Johnathan Chick, a psychiatric professor in addictions, referred to Castle Craig as “a great phenomenon of which Scotland should be proud”, following an inspection by the Care Commission in January 2011.
Castle Craig is regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (formerly the Care Commission). During our latest inspection report (January 2011) we were awarded grades of 6 “excellent” and 5 “very good” for all areas of care and quality that were assessed. During our most recent Moody International ISO 9001 quality standard inspection, the management of the hospital was described as ‘exemplary’.
7. Over 90% patient satisfaction rate. Our former patients recommend us.
We are proud of our patient satisfaction levels and we publish the results online. In our most recent survey, core elements of our programme such as nursing care, individual counselling, detoxification and group therapy all score 90% or above.
More poignant than satisfaction levels are the messages we received from our former patients, often many years after they’ve left Castle Craig. We publish a selection of them online – they can be seen by clicking here.
8. We are fully medically managed - full time Consultant Psychiatrist and a team of doctors and nurses.
This is an important fact. You can be assured that your treatment team and your personal therapist is led by expert doctors, extensively trained, fully GMC registered, engaged in continuous professional development and who undergo external, independent annual appraisals. They are employed at Castle Craig full time. In fact Castle Craig is the UK’s only non-psychiatric, non NHS addiction hospital. It meets ASAM’s (American Society of Addiction Medicine) highest level of care which is ‘medically managed inpatient detoxification and inpatient treatment’. This is a higher level than purely medical direction or medical supervision.
9. We innovate – we follow new evidence based treatment, and we conduct our own research.
In 1988 Castle Craig was the first treatment centre to bring the 12 step facilitation programme to Scotland. In 1999 we were the first treatment centre to introduce IC&RC accreditation for all therapists and in 2008 we were the first to offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy for all patients in treatment. In these and many other ways, Castle Craig has always been willing to lead the way and inspire others to follow.
10. Quick assessment and admission.
We offer rapid assessment and admissions - we are ready to help you as soon as you are ready for help. If you want treatment at Castle Craig there won’t be any waiting list to join or any delays in getting you into treatment. In fact, our admissions department are available to take your call at any time of the day or night, and any time of the week.
11. We are recognised by major insurers.
Thanks to our consultant psychiatric care and our ISO accreditation, Castle Craig is recognised by major insurance companies both in the UK and Internationally. Contact our admissions secretary for more information.
12. Each patient matters to us – before, during and after treatment.
At the core of Castle Craig’s values are compassion, empathy and care. The staff are inspired and dedicated to their work - many have fought their own addictions and, once fully recovered, returned to help others. One of Castle Craig’s symbols is the mustard tree, which is significant because Recovery from addiction is said to grow out of a small seed into a great tree, which in turn provides support to others entering Recovery.
After their time at Castle Craig has finished, patients are invited free of charge to return every year for an annual Reunion, and to attend aftercare meetings in various locations. Castle Craig is developing it’s alumni services in the form of the Friends of Castle Craig, for it’s former patients who want to keep taking more from their experience at Castle Craig.
Contact Us
Castle Craig has been renewing lives and rebuilding families affected by addictions since 1988. We provide all the tools you need for a life-long recovery.
The staff at Castle Craig are here to answer your questions about treatment and the admissions process at any time. To speak to someone who can help call 0800 0322 880 or email us via our contact form.
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