NHS clinic treats children for serious ketamine-related bladder damage

Children as young as 13 are receiving NHS treatment for potentially irreversible bladder damage caused by sustained ketamine use.

More than 100 young people have been referred to the UK’s first dedicated paediatric ketamine bladder clinic since it opened at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool in May 2025.

Analysis of its first 60 patients found they were aged between 13 and 15, with an average age of 14. Around two-thirds were girls and a similar proportion lived in some of the country’s most deprived communities.

Ketamine-induced uropathy damages the bladder, urinary tubes and kidneys. Symptoms can include severe pain, frequent or urgent urination, incontinence and blood in the urine. Some patients have described shedding part of the bladder’s protective lining, while advanced cases can require major surgery or dialysis.

Children had typically used ketamine for between one and two years before being referred. Almost three-quarters had experienced emotional trauma, 16 had autism or ADHD, or both, and one in five had experience of the care system.

The clinic combines treatment for the physical damage with non-judgmental addiction support. Doctors said stopping ketamine use early can prevent further harm, but warned that some damage may be permanent.

Stay informed with the stories shaping health and social care.