Addiction specialists called on Monday for an expansion of NHS withdrawal services to help patients dependent on prescription painkillers. Existing support remains fragmented and underfunded, they warned, leaving long-term opioid users in what one clinician described as a 'prison of pain'.

Dependence on prescribed opioids such as codeine and tramadol, as well as gabapentinoid drugs, has become an established part of specialist addiction caseloads. Public Health England previously found that millions of adults were prescribed potentially addictive medicines each year, with a substantial proportion taking them for 12 months or more.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists and the charity Action on Addiction have highlighted the difficulty patients face in tapering off medicines without structured clinical support. Abrupt withdrawal can cause severe physical and psychological symptoms, leaving many patients trapped between chronic pain and dependence.

Most integrated care boards lack dedicated deprescribing pathways, forcing patients to rely on GPs who may lack time or training to manage complex tapers. Specialists urged the Department of Health and Social Care to ring-fence funding for specialist clinics and expand access to psychological therapies alongside medication reviews.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the government was committed to improving support for people dependent on prescription medicines and was reviewing prescribing guidance to reduce harm.