The DHSC told the BBC that the government “is committed to ensuring that all those with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need”.
It said it recognises “the important role the Addictions Clinical Care Suite at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust has played in supporting people with complex drug and alcohol needs since 2021”, and said it was “grateful to the staff who have delivered high-quality care”.
The Health Secretary Wes Streeting told LBC on Wednesday that he planned to “go away and look at this”.
He spoke of drug and alcohol addiction in his own family, and said: “We can’t write these people off. Quite the opposite. We judge a society by how it treats its most vulnerable.”
He added: “I’m going to go away and understand what’s happened here. It’s my responsibility as Health Secretary to make sure we’re providing the right care in the right place at the right time.”
The DCHS told the BBC that it was investing £3.4bn over the next three years in drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery services.
It added that the department was “working to secure sustainable long-term inpatient detox provision in London”.