The clinic was open for less than four years When the UK’s first ketamine-assisted clinic opened in 2020, it was hailed as a pioneering treatment centre that could change the way depression and anxiety is treated globally.

The Awakn clinic was billed as "an entirely new paradigm for mental health, where we are moving from palliative care towards permanent cure", by the centre’s leaders.

But less that four years later, the Bristol clinic has shut down. A year before its closure, it was awarded a Good rating by the CQC and had five-star reviews on Google.

We take a look at why the clinic, which had aimed to change the people who are grappling with mental health issues were treated, closed. What happened at the clinic?

The clinic provided treatment to adults who had "treatment resistant depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health problems and substance and alcohol dependency".

Patients were injected with a controlled drug amount of Ketamine in a clinical setting, where people were "closely monitored throughout". Can psychedelic drugs treat depression?

The service was registered with the CQC in November 2020 and was first inspected in 2023 and was awarded an overall rating of Good.

Patient’s physical health – including blood pressure, heart rate – was monitored before, during and after treatment.

People were in three dedicated treatment rooms, where they remained to recover until it was deemed safe for them leave after their session.The provider received one complaint which resulted in full reimbursement of fees, and additional double glazing being installed to block out any traffic noise. Why did it close? Professor David Nutt, scientific advisor to the clinic, said there were not enough private patients to keep the centre open.Awakn Clinic charged people £6,000 for a course of low-dose treatments alongside talking therapy.Despite the centre’s "successful rate" at treating long-term depression, the Bristolian psychiatrist said the NHS was not willing to fund the clinic.He has spent has spent more than five decades studying the impact of various drugs on the brain.During studies at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London, he discovered that psychedelics switch off the parts […]

What happened to UK’s first ketamine-assisted clinic?