An addiction expert says the closure of an exclusive Auckland drug and mental health rehab shows there isn't a market for high-end treatment centres.
Capri Hospital will close its doors to inpatient services in September after 17 years, but will continue to treat outpatients for the time being.
Chair of the National Committee of Addiction Treatment Dr Vanessa Caldwell says private treatment centres are expensive to run and most effective for people with the severe end of addiction.
"For the bulk of people experiencing addiction, actually lower-level intensity treatments are more effective," she says. "So I think sometimes getting that balance right can be really difficult."
The owners of Capri launched a Givealittle campaign in September 2015 asking for donations for people who couldn't afford their fees, as funding from benefactors was coming to an end.
Capri Hospital has not being without controversy since it opened its doors.
Nestled in the suburb of Mount Wellington, Capri raised eyebrows within the rehabilitation sector with its opulent facilities and $5000-a-week fee.
The clinic's Tom Claunch stepped down as director of the rehab programme in 2008 after it was revealed he was having a relationship with a former Capri client who was still using the clinic's after-care services.
The hospital once treated Millie Elder-Holmes for her addiction to methamphetamine, but there are signs Capri has hit hard times.
In a statement, the Smith family, who run Capri, say the doors will close to inpatients from September 16.
Newshub.
