NHS opens clinic for young ketamine users as bladder harm rises

Ketamine - long used in medicine and veterinary care - has risen in popularity as a recreational drug | Getty Images

A specialist NHS clinic to help young people who have suffered bladder damage from using the drug ketamine has opened following a rising number of cases.

NHS Grampian has opened the clinic for anyone who needs it following increased demand on its urology services.

Ketamine is a powerful dissociative anesthetic that alters perception, reduces pain, and induces a trance-like state. It is used in both medical and veterinary treatments, as well as being prescribed for depression, with recreational use rising since the 1990s.

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Its use can lead to incontinence while for others it stops the bladder working, and can also make the organ bleed and cause scarring.

The health board said the Ketamine Bladder Clinic at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary will give patients referred with ketamine-related harm “optimised care”.

Consultant urologist Justine Royle said: “Our main aim through this new clinic is to help protect people’s kidney function as much as possible.

“There will be easier access to acute care for patients suffering the effects of harm from taking ketamine and we are pulling together all our knowledge and expertise to help address this increasing problem.

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“The more we can do to prevent the hugely damaging, life-changing effects of ketamine taking hold in the first place is so important, particularly among young people, so we are also right behind the new public health campaign.

“Early symptoms appear similar to a UTI. For some, it causes incontinence or the need to pee lots, for others it stops the bladder working. It can make the bladder bleed, and cause scarring on the bladder.

“In extreme cases, removing the bladder through major surgery is the best course of action.

“The best thing you can do to help yourself if you have been using ketamine is stop using.”

The opening of the clinic and an associated social media campaign comes as ketamine use rises cross Scotland.

NHS Lothian reported that recreational ketamine use among 16 to 24-year-olds doubled between 2010 and 2020, while a Scottish Government reported that, of S4 pupils who reported taking illegal drugs in the previous month, 35% reported using ketamine.

NHS Grampian said its “Use Ketamine? Stop And Think” campaign aims to provide clear, non-judgmental information about the potential risks of taking the drug.

It highlights the dangers of mixing substances, taking unknown substances, the long-term impact on physical and mental health, and the dangers of taking drugs alone.

The campaign has been designed by NHS Grampian’s public health directorate, in partnership with the Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray alcohol and drug partnerships.

Simon Rayner, who leads the Aberdeen partnership, said: “This campaign is about helping young people make informed choices.

“By raising awareness of the risks associated with ketamine use and promoting access to support, we hope to prevent harm and encourage people to seek help at an early stage.

“Young people with lived experience have told us they wish they had better understood the risks sooner and where to get help.

“This campaign is about providing honest information without judgment.”