Drug & Alcohol Rehab Options in Cambridgeshire

Drug and alcohol treatment options in Cambridgeshire

The right starting point depends on what is being used, whether physical dependence has developed, how safe and stable the person is at home, what has already been tried and how much support is needed now.

One route is not automatically better than another. The question is which level and setting of support fit the situation now.

Free adult drug and alcohol treatment in Cambridgeshire

Drug and Alcohol Service Cambridgeshire is the county’s commissioned adult service and is delivered by Change Grow Live. It is free and supports people affected by alcohol, illicit drugs and dependence-forming medicines.

The service may provide:

• assessment and an individual treatment plan
• one-to-one and group recovery support
• alcohol and drug treatment
• clinical and prescribing support where appropriate
• counselling and peer-led activities
• harm-reduction advice
• naloxone and needle-exchange access
• support for family members and other people affected

The Cambridge, Huntingdon and Wisbech hubs are open access, so an appointment is not required for a first visit. People can also complete the service’s online self-referral, which asks a short series of questions before the team gets in touch.

Refer yourself to Drug and Alcohol Service Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire’s adult treatment hubs

All three hubs use the telephone number 0300 555 0101. Choose the menu option shown for the location you need.

Getting support from elsewhere in Cambridgeshire

Living outside Cambridge, Huntingdon or Wisbech does not prevent someone from using the county service. People in Ely, St Neots, March, Cambourne and the surrounding villages can contact the shared number or refer online and ask which hub, local arrangement or remote support is appropriate.

The service announced a refreshed county model from April 2026 that includes more neighbourhood-based delivery and online interventions. The practical arrangement may therefore depend on the person’s location and needs rather than requiring every appointment to take place at one of the three main hubs.

Recovery, harm reduction and support around treatment

Cambridgeshire Recovery Service

Cambridgeshire Recovery Service is led by people in recovery and focuses on connection, purpose and sustaining recovery beyond formal treatment. It offers groups, activities and a community for people living in the county.

The EDGE Cafés

The EDGE Café is a community-led recovery social enterprise. CGL currently describes two cafés in the Cambridge area, at Brookfields and Fulbourn, run with people who have their own experience of recovery.

Short-Term Alcohol Reduction Support

STARS provides five one-to-one sessions for people who want focused help reducing their drinking. Sessions usually take place through a GP practice, but telephone or online appointments may also be available.

Naloxone and needle exchange

CGL provides a pharmacy finder for naloxone and needle-exchange services across the county. Naloxone can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose and is worth asking about where heroin or other opioids are involved.

Support for families and friends

The county service also supports people affected by somebody else’s alcohol or drug use. A partner, parent or other family member can ask for help in their own right rather than waiting for the person using substances to enter treatment.

View CGL’s Cambridgeshire recovery and support projects

Help for young people through CASUS

CASUS, the Cambridgeshire Child and Adolescent Substance Use Service, is run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. It provides specialist support for young people under 18 who are experiencing difficulties with alcohol or drugs, as well as young people affected by somebody else’s substance use.

The service’s wider information also describes help and advice for young people up to the age of 21. People aged 18 to 20 can contact the team to confirm which service route applies to their situation.

Abbington House is an adult residential service. For someone under 18, CASUS is the appropriate first contact rather than Abbington’s admissions team.

Peterborough has separate drug and alcohol services

This guide covers the Cambridgeshire County Council treatment area. Peterborough commissions its own drug and alcohol services and should not be treated as though it uses the Cambridge, Huntingdon or Wisbech pathway.

Adults in Peterborough can contact Aspire Recovery Service, which operates from Bridge Street and Bretton. Peterborough also has a separate service for young people.

When residential rehab may fit

Community treatment works well for many people. Residential rehab provides a different level and setting of support rather than an automatically superior form of treatment.

It may be worth considering where:

• attempts to stop or reduce alcohol or drug use at home have not lasted
• withdrawal or prescribing needs require closer medical assessment
• several substances are involved
• the home or social environment is closely connected with continued use
• the person struggles to remain stable between appointments
• anxiety, depression, trauma or another mental-health difficulty is also part of the picture
• work, relationships, sleep and physical health have all been affected
• a period away from familiar routines would create more space to focus on treatment

Our residential rehab page explains how treatment works at Abbington House, including assessment, detox where clinically appropriate, therapy, family support, daily structure and aftercare planning.

Considering private residential treatment from Cambridgeshire

Abbington House provides CQC-regulated private residential treatment at its centre in Stevenage for alcohol addiction, illicit and prescription drug addiction, and co-occurring mental-health difficulties.

Treatment brings assessment, medically supervised detox where clinically appropriate, therapy, daily structure, family support and preparation for life after treatment into one residential stay. Suitability and length of stay are assessed individually.

Our alcohol rehab guide explains the main alcohol-treatment routes available in the UK and where private residential treatment may fit. Our drug rehab guide explains how care can differ by substance, including illicit drugs, prescription medication and mixed substance use.

Not every situation requires residential treatment, and not every person is suitable for admission to Abbington House. The first conversation and assessment are used to understand the complete situation rather than force it into a residential pathway.

Travelling from Cambridgeshire to Abbington House

Cambridgeshire is a broad county, so there is no single meaningful journey time. Stevenage is relatively accessible from Cambridge, St Neots, Huntingdon and southern Cambridgeshire. Travelling from Ely, March or Wisbech is a longer journey and should be considered as part of admission and family planning.

From Cambridge and southern Cambridgeshire

Direct trains run between Cambridge and Stevenage, with scheduled journeys commonly taking around 40 to 50 minutes. By road, the usual route is towards Royston and the A505 before joining the A1(M), often taking around an hour depending on the starting point and traffic.

From St Neots and Huntingdon

St Neots and Huntingdon sit on the main rail corridor through Stevenage. By road, the A1 and A1(M) provide a relatively direct route south, with journeys commonly taking around 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic and the exact starting point.

From Ely, March and Wisbech

Journeys from Fenland and northern Cambridgeshire are longer. Rail travel commonly involves travelling through Cambridge or Peterborough, while road journeys may take around an hour and a half. The route should be checked before travelling rather than treating the whole county as equally close.

Timetables, road conditions and journey times can change. The admissions team can help think through arrival arrangements, but travel should be checked directly before setting out.

What the distance means for family involvement

Family involvement does not depend on travelling to Stevenage every week. Abbington House provides a structured weekly family group online, allowing partners, parents, siblings and adult children to take part from home across Cambridgeshire.

In-person contact may also form part of treatment where appropriate and agreed with the treatment team. Same-day travel is generally more straightforward from Cambridge, St Neots, Huntingdon and southern Cambridgeshire than from Ely, March or Wisbech, so practical arrangements are considered individually rather than assumed.

The Cambridgeshire community service can also support affected family members in their own right, whether or not the person using alcohol or drugs enters treatment.

• Read about family support at Abbington House.