Overview

• The UK’s first NHS ketamine clinic for under-16s at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital opened in May to address rising youth addiction.
• Consultants report patients as young as 12 presenting with bladder inflammation, blood in urine and bedwetting linked to ketamine use.
• National data show an 85% increase in ketamine use from 2023 to 2024 and a jump to 3,609 treatment entries in 2023-24.
• Additional Friday sessions were introduced after initial clinic dates filled rapidly due to high referral volumes.
• Clinicians highlight ketamine’s low street price and rural availability around Merseyside as key factors driving under-16 misuse.