# Drug & Alcohol Rehab in East London | Sierra Recovery > Drug and alcohol rehab in East London: free NHS, council and peer options compared honestly, with indicative costs, plus treatment abroad clearly marked. [Home](/) › [Rehab locations](/local-treatment-guides/) › East London Local guide · East London # Drug and Alcohol Rehab in East London: the honest guide Every route to drug and alcohol rehab across Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Barking & Dagenham, set out plainly: the free NHS and council services first, then the private rehab options and treatment abroad, with real costs and sources you can check. Clinically reviewed by[Nerea Encinas Sánchez](/clinical-team/)Director of the centre, MSc General Health PsychologyRegistered psychologist, COPAO AO13857 Checked for accuracy on 28 July 2026. Next review due July 2027. This page is general information about our programme and is not a substitute for advice about your own situation. You do not have to pay for treatment in East London. Every East London borough has a free, NHS-commissioned drug and alcohol service, and that is the right first step for most people. There is free national advice and free peer support too. Private residential rehab is faster and more intensive but costs from roughly £12,000 a month in the UK, and treatment abroad can cost less than a private UK stay. If you are trying to find a rehab, or find alcohol rehab support near East London specifically, the free NHS and community routes below are the honest place to start; drug and alcohol rehab centres, whether NHS-commissioned, private, or abroad, are set out side by side further down this guide. If you may be physically dependent, do not stop suddenlyStopping alcohol or benzodiazepines abruptly can be dangerous if you are physically dependent, because severe withdrawal can cause seizures. Get medical advice before you cut down or stop. In a life-threatening emergency call 999 (or 112), and for urgent non-emergency advice call NHS 111. Who publishes this, and why it matters. This guide is published by Sierra Recovery. We are not based in East London. We are a residential centre in Málaga, Spain, and we are included below as one option among the local drug and alcohol rehabs, clearly marked, for people who would consider treatment away from home. Unlike a directory that lists every drug and alcohol rehab centre indiscriminately, our list is not influenced by anyone paying for placement, and we take no referral fees. Where a local option, whether NHS, private, or community, is better for you than we are, we say so. ### Speak to a clinician about treatment from East London Confidential, no obligation, and no referral fee is paid to anyone for sending you here. [Speak to a clinician](#talk)[+44 1202 653136](tel:+441202653136) ## Free drug and alcohol services in East London Start here, before you consider paying for anything. These services are free, they are local, and for a great many people they are enough on their own. We publish them because a centre that only tells you about its own programme is not giving you the full picture. Where to go What they do, and how to reach them [City & Hackney Recovery Service](https://www.turning-point.co.uk/services) the commissioning authority Free drug and alcohol treatment for East London is commissioned by City & Hackney Recovery Service. Their page lists the current provider, which changes when contracts are retendered, so we link the authority rather than a service name that may be out of date. Your GP, or NHS 111 The NHS advises starting with your GP, who can assess you, advise on safe options and refer you into local treatment. Call NHS 111 for urgent advice that is not an emergency. [Talk to FRANK](https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you) Free, confidential drugs advice 24 hours a day on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. Its find-support tool lists local services for any postcode. Drinkline The free national alcohol helpline on 0300 123 1110, weekdays 9am to 8pm and weekends 11am to 4pm, for you or for someone you are worried about. [We Are With You](https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/) Free, confidential support for drug, alcohol and mental health problems, in person in many areas and by webchat everywhere. [Adfam](https://adfam.org.uk/) Support and information for families and friends affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use. Checked 28 July 2026. Commissioned services are retendered periodically, so confirm the current provider with the authority before you travel to an appointment. ## AA and NA meetings in East London Mutual aid meetings are free, they run most days, and there is no waiting list, no referral and no assessment. You can walk into one this week. They work alongside whatever else you choose rather than instead of it, and plenty of people use them and nothing else. Fellowship How to find a meeting near East London Alcoholics Anonymous Search your town or postcode on the [AA Great Britain meeting finder](https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/find-a-meeting/) to see every meeting near East London, in person and online, with days and times. The helpline is free on 0800 917 7650. Narcotics Anonymous If drugs are part of the picture, search the [UK Narcotics Anonymous meeting finder](https://meetings.ukna.org/) for meetings near East London. The helpline is 0300 999 1212. Cocaine Anonymous For cocaine and crack specifically, in person and online, with a national helpline on 0800 612 0225. See [Cocaine Anonymous UK](https://www.cocaineanonymous.org.uk/). SMART Recovery A secular, CBT-based alternative to the twelve-step approach, free, in person and online. Some people much prefer it, and you are not required to choose one. See [SMART Recovery UK](https://smartrecovery.org.uk/). Al-Anon For the family and friends of someone drinking, which is its own burden and deserves its own support. See [Al-Anon UK](https://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/). ### What actually happens at a first meeting You do not have to speak, and you do not have to give your surname. Most meetings open with a reading, someone shares for a while, and others speak if they want to. It lasts about an hour, and it is free, though a basket goes round for the room hire. Nobody takes a register and nobody will ask you to commit to anything. An open meeting can be attended by anyone, including family. A closed meeting is for people who think they may have a problem themselves. If the first group does not suit you, the next one along will feel different, because each has its own character. The usual advice is to try three before deciding it is not for you. We link the official finders rather than print a timetable, because meeting times and venues change and a stale listing sends someone to a locked door. Checked 28 July 2026. ## Private residential rehab for people in East London There are no private residential rehab centres based in East London itself. Residential detox and rehab for East London residents happen either by referral through the free NHS service above, or privately at a rehab clinic or treatment centre elsewhere, typically in outer London, the wider Home Counties, or further afield, including services in London that sit just outside the East London boroughs. So when people search for rehab centres in London, or alcohol rehab centres in London, what they generally find are private facilities near East London rather than inside it, plus a smaller number of specialist inpatient rehab centres further out. In practice a residential stay at any inpatient rehab facility almost always means travelling, whichever route you choose, which is worth knowing when you weigh up treatment abroad against private residential treatment nearer home. Before you commit to any private centre or residential treatment option, check its current rating and registered location on the [Care Quality Commission register](https://www.cqc.org.uk/). ## What residential treatment typically involves Whichever drug and alcohol rehab services you use, a residential or community treatment programme usually combines several elements, though exactly what is offered varies by provider, so always confirm with the service directly. A typical treatment plan starts with an assessment, followed where clinically appropriate by a supervised medical detox to manage withdrawal symptoms safely, and then a structured programme of therapy: one-to-one counselling, group therapy, and often family therapy sessions to involve people close to you. Many programmes also draw on cognitive behavioural therapy and other therapeutic approaches, alongside holistic therapies such as mindfulness, exercise or creative work, and relapse prevention planning to support long-term recovery once the programme ends. Aftercare, whether through the same service or through free peer support such as AA or NA, is normally part of a sound addiction recovery plan rather than an optional extra. If you have co-occurring mental health issues alongside drug or alcohol use, sometimes called dual diagnosis, mention this at assessment, since it shapes which treatment option and which service is the right fit; alcohol misuse and other alcohol use issues are often assessed and treated in the same pathway as drug dependency. ## What treatment costs As an indication only, published UK directories list private residential rehab from around £12,000 to £40,000 a month, with almost nothing credible under £10,000 a month. The free NHS route costs you nothing. These are indicative ranges drawn from published directory and provider figures, not quotes, covering both drug rehab and alcohol rehab centres alike, and reflecting what London drug and alcohol rehab treatment centres and alcohol rehab treatment centres elsewhere in the UK typically publish; every rehab facility sets its own fees, so confirm directly with the rehab centre or treatment centre before you decide. Cost ranges checked 25 July 2026. Typical published UK ranges, not quotations. Please verify before you decide. Services, waiting times and prices change, and every centre sets its own fees. The figures here are drawn from each provider’s own published information and public directory listings, dated above. Always confirm directly with the service or centre. Considering residential treatment abroad? ## Sierra Recovery, Málaga, Spain Most people who look abroad are not chasing sunshine. They are trying to get far enough away from the people, the places and the routine that keep the drinking or the using going, because they have already discovered that stopping while all of that is still fifteen minutes away does not hold. That distance is the whole point, and it is the one thing a clinic near East London cannot give you. Sierra Recovery is a working farmhouse on forty hectares of olive groves in the Málaga countryside, about forty five minutes from the airport and roughly three hours from most UK airports. It is small, the team is English-speaking, and the same clinicians treat you from the first day to the last. What follows is what that actually buys, stated plainly enough that you can compare it with anything else you are considering. What matters when comparing Sierra Recovery Is it actually licensed A registered health centre entered in the Registro Andaluz de Centros, Servicios y Establecimientos Sanitarios (the Andalusian register of health centres, services and establishments) under N.I.C.A. 67331, authorised by the Junta de Andalucía. You can look it up yourself on the public register. What it costs, in full £9,900 for the 28-day residential programme, published on the site up front. All rooms are individual. You get an itemised written quotation before admission. Who pays whom No referral fees are paid or accepted, in either direction. Nobody earns a commission for sending you here, which is worth checking about any centre you are comparing. What the clinical work is Three group sessions a day five days a week, individual therapy three times a week, and a seventeen-module psychoeducation curriculum. The approach adapts the method of PROMIS Clinics, treating addiction in the United Kingdom since 1986. Where the limits are It is not a hospital and not a detox unit. Where a medically supervised detox is clinically needed it is completed in an appropriate medical setting before admission and billed separately. Qualified nurses are part of the team throughout the stay. Who you speak to first Our admissions team, all of them clinicians, working to the standards set by our clinical director. The assessment is free, and if a service closer to home suits you better, we will say so. What happens afterwards Aftercare is agreed before you leave: a session every week for a full year, online or in person at the PROMIS clinics in London, which is more than 48 sessions in the twelve months after discharge. A written handover goes to your GP so nothing has to be explained from scratch. Every figure above is published elsewhere on this site and can be checked. See [pricing](/pricing/), [regulation and licensing](/regulation-and-licensing/) and [the programme](/our-programme-at-sierra-recovery/). ## Which option is right for you Weighing up rehab options for drug addiction, alcohol addiction, or both together comes down to four honest questions: cost, urgency, how close to home you need to stay, and whether you need medical detox first. Start with your free borough NHS service if you are unsure, if cost is the barrier, or if you want to stay near family and work in East London. Use AA or NA alongside whatever you choose, including their free group sessions. Private residential in the UK if you need detox and rehab together under one roof, are not fit to fly, or need to stay close to home. Treatment abroad only if a private UK stay is out of reach, distance from your usual triggers would help, and you can travel and do not need an immediate hospital detox. If your situation is urgent or medically complex, including where mental health issues sit alongside drug or alcohol use, the local NHS route is almost always the faster and safer first call, since it can coordinate both a detox referral and mental health support in one place. If you would like to talk through whether treatment abroad fits your circumstances, our team will tell you honestly either way, including whether our residential addiction treatment programme is the right fit, whether a residential rehab treatment centre in the UK suits you better, or whether a local drug and alcohol rehab service is the right call. Not every drug rehab treatment or alcohol rehab treatment centre offers the same rehab treatment approach, so what a rehab offers matters as much as where it is. [Read how admission to Sierra works](/admissions/). + ### Talk to a clinician Confidential and no obligation. You will speak to our admissions team, all of them clinicians. We will tell you honestly whether Sierra is the right place. [How admission works](/admissions/) Registered health centre, N.I.C.A. 67331, entered in the Registro Andaluz de Centros, Servicios y Establecimientos Sanitarios. [How we are licensed](/regulation-and-licensing/). ## Sources and verification - [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-alcohol-addiction-support-services/), find your local free drug and alcohol support service by postcode - [Turning Point](https://www.turning-point.co.uk/services), City & Hackney Recovery Service - [Via](https://www.viaorg.uk/) (formerly WDP) · [We Are With You](https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/), free NHS-commissioned services with local finders - [Talk to FRANK](https://www.talktofrank.com/), free national drug advice (0300 123 6600, text 82111) - [Alcoholics Anonymous GB](https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/) · [Narcotics Anonymous UK](https://ukna.org/), free meeting finders - [CQC register](https://www.cqc.org.uk/), verify any private centre’s current rating and location - [Junta de Andalucía register](https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud/oficinavirtual/consulta/index.jsp), Sierra Recovery, N.I.C.A. 67331 · [Sierra pricing](/pricing/) All figures dated 25 July 2026. Confirm each service, number and price on the provider’s own page before you rely on it. ## Questions people ask Is there free drug and alcohol treatment in East London? Yes. Every East London borough (Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Barking & Dagenham) has a free, NHS-commissioned drug and alcohol service offering assessment, a keyworker, community detox where suitable, groups and onward referral. In City & Hackney this is the City & Hackney Recovery Service run by Turning Point; other parts of East London are run by providers such as Via and We Are With You. Use the NHS service finder to reach the one for your postcode, or ask your GP. Free national advice is available from Talk to FRANK on 0300 123 6600, and AA and Narcotics Anonymous run free meetings across East London. Are there private residential rehab centres in East London? No private residential rehab centre is based in East London itself. Residential detox and rehab for East London residents happen either by referral through the free NHS service, or privately at centres elsewhere, usually in outer London and the Home Counties. A residential stay almost always means travelling, whichever route you choose. Always check any private centre's current rating and registered location on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) register before you commit. How much does private rehab cost? As an indication only, published UK directories list private residential rehab from around £12,000 to £40,000 a month, with little credible under £10,000 a month. The free NHS route costs you nothing. Sierra Recovery's residential programme in Spain is £9,900 for 28 days, published, with hospital detox billed separately. These are indicative ranges, not quotes; every centre sets its own fees, so confirm directly. Is it safe to detox from alcohol at home? Not necessarily. If you are physically dependent on alcohol or benzodiazepines, stopping suddenly can be dangerous, because severe withdrawal can cause seizures. Do not cut down or stop abruptly without medical advice. Speak to your GP, your local NHS drug and alcohol service or NHS 111 first. In a life-threatening emergency call 999 or 112. Where is Sierra Recovery based, and is it in East London? Sierra Recovery is not in East London. It is a registered health centre in Humilladero, Malaga, Spain, treating in English using a clinical model adapted from PROMIS Clinics, whose method has been in use in the UK since 1986. It is a rehabilitation centre, not a hospital or detox unit, so any medically supervised detox is completed elsewhere before admission. It is included in this guide as one honest option for people who would consider treatment away from home, with no referral fees. ### From East London, admission can happen within days Where no medical detox is needed first, the usual sequence is a free assessment, an itemised written quotation, and a flight. Málaga is around three hours from most UK airports. Where a detox is needed it is arranged first and that changes the timing, and we will tell you so at assessment, before you book anything. [How admission works](/admissions/) [Getting here from the UK](/travelling-to-spain-for-treatment/) ### Still not sure which option fits you in East London? Tell a clinician what is going on and they will talk it through with you, including the free routes above, before anything is booked. [Speak to a clinician](#talk)[+44 1202 653136](tel:+441202653136) + ## Talk to a clinician today You will speak to our admissions team, English-speaking clinicians who know the programme and the people in it. Callback within 24 hours. Step 1 of 3 Confidential, and no obligation Registered health centre. Authorised by the Junta de Andalucía, N.I.C.A. 67331. ### Other areas we cover - [Barnet](/alcohol-rehab-barnet/) - [Ealing](/alcohol-rehab-ealing/) - [Hackney](/alcohol-rehab-hackney/) - [Hounslow](/alcohol-rehab-hounslow/) - [Lewisham](/alcohol-rehab-lewisham/) - [Newham](/alcohol-rehab-newham/) See every location in our [local treatment guides](/local-treatment-guides/), or compare what treatment costs in [the UK](/how-much-does-rehab-cost-in-the-uk/). Explore further ## Helpful pages ### Related pages [Rehab: UK vs Spain](/rehab-uk-vs-spain/)[Our programme](/our-programme-at-sierra-recovery/)[Pricing](/pricing/)[Regulation & licensing](/regulation-and-licensing/)[Alcohol addiction](/alcohol-addiction/)[Admissions](/admissions/) --- Source: https://sierrarecoveryspain.com/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-east-london/ Retrieved: 2026-08-27 Canonical HTML version of this page: https://sierrarecoveryspain.com/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-in-east-london/