Who Is Responsible for Your Care When a Rehab Booking Uses a Partner Centre?

The receipt says one name. The board outside the gate says another. Many families in Delhi NCR find this out on admission day, standing in a car park with a bag of clothes. They paid a booking service or a known brand, and their son, husband or sister is going into a rehab partner centre they have never heard of. The first question that comes up is not about therapy. It is simple: if something goes wrong in there, who do we call, and who has to answer?

This article tries to answer that question honestly. It is not legal advice, and every arrangement is different. But once you know the usual set-ups and the basic rule of who is responsible for what, you can ask for the right things in writing before you pay.

Quick answer: At a rehab partner centre, day-to-day clinical care is the responsibility of the registered establishment where the patient stays and the clinicians treating them there. Money, refunds and promises made at booking usually rest with whoever took your payment and signed the paperwork. Get both parties’ roles, contacts and refund terms in writing before admission.

Four common set-ups behind a rehab partner centre

“Partner centre” is a loose phrase covering very different arrangements. Here are the four you are most likely to meet.

1. A referral or booking service sending you to an independent centre. You call a helpline or a website, someone assesses your situation over the phone, and they place your family member in a centre they work with. If you are dealing with one of these, our sister guide on questions to ask a rehab referral service goes deeper into how they earn money.

2. A brand or franchise network. One name, several locations. Some branches may be owned by the brand; others are run by local operators under a licence. A rehab franchise centre in India can look identical to the flagship on the website while being a separate company with separate staff.

3. A centre that sends overflow to a partner when beds are full. You choose Centre A, but Centre A has no bed this week, so they offer a place at Centre B “for now”. This is common, and it is not always a bad idea. Our earlier post on what to do when a rehab centre has no bed available covers the options in more detail.

4. A hospital that outsources residential care. A hospital or psychiatrist’s clinic does the detox or the first assessment, then recommends a residential programme run by another organisation. This kind of outsourced rehab care is common after hospital detox.

Set-up	Who you contract with	Who treats	Who holds the registration
Referral to independent centre	Often the booking service, sometimes the centre directly, sometimes both	Clinicians employed or engaged by the independent centre	The independent centre
Brand or franchise network	The brand, the local operator, or both, depending on the invoice	Staff at that specific branch	Each branch should hold its own registration for its own premises
Overflow to a partner centre	Usually the first centre you paid	Staff at the partner centre where the bed actually is	The partner centre
Hospital outsourcing residential care	The hospital for its part; the residential provider for the stay	Hospital team first, then the residential team	The hospital for its services; the residential provider for its own premises

Notice the third column. In every case, the people giving care day to day belong to the place where your family member sleeps. That is the key to everything that follows.

The basic principle: clinical responsibility and money responsibility are different things

Under the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, a place that provides inpatient mental health or de-addiction care is a mental health establishment, and it must be registered with the relevant mental health authority before it operates. You can read the wording of Section 65 on registration of mental health establishments. In 2025 the Central Mental Health Authority also notified categories of establishments, with standalone de-addiction centres placed in their own category; there is a summary of the CMHA classification categories if you want the detail.

What this means in plain terms: the registration belongs to a specific establishment at a specific address. The booking service’s office is not a treatment facility. A brand logo does not carry a registration across to every building with that logo. So, broadly:

• Clinical responsibility (medicines, safety, observation, restraint decisions, treatment plans, emergency response, records) sits with the registered establishment where care happens and with its treating clinicians, especially the psychiatrist or medical officer in charge.
• Contractual and consumer responsibility (what you were promised, what you paid, refunds, cancellations, hidden charges) depends on who took your money and what the paperwork says. That may be the booking service, the centre, or both.

These can overlap. In a dispute, a booking service may say “we only referred you” while the centre says “we never promised that”. Who is right depends on the documents and facts, so for a serious dispute about money or harm, speak to a lawyer.

Before admission, check registration directly. Our guide on how to verify a rehab centre’s registration in India explains how to ask for and check the certificate. Ask for the rehab partner centre’s own certificate, not the brand head office’s.

Scenario 1: A medication error at the rehab partner centre

What happened (illustrative)

A family books a 30-day programme through a helpline. On day four, the patient’s wife visits and notices he is very drowsy. It turns out a sedative dose meant for another patient was given to him. The helpline staff are polite on the phone but say they “will check with the centre”.

Who should answer

The partner centre’s medical team. They prescribed and gave the medicine, they keep the medication chart, and they are responsible for checking him now. The psychiatrist or doctor in charge should explain what was given, what monitoring is in place and whether he needs a hospital review. The booking service has a duty to help you reach the right person quickly, and it should not be acting as a filter between you and the doctor.

What to ask for in writing

• The name of the treating doctor and how to reach them directly.
• A written note of what medicine and dose was given in error, and when.
• What monitoring is being done and the plan if symptoms change.

If he seems very unwell, unresponsive or has trouble breathing, do not wait for paperwork. Ask for an immediate medical transfer, or call 112.

Scenario 2: Emergency transfer to hospital

What happened (illustrative)

A woman in alcohol withdrawal at an overflow partner centre has a seizure at 2 a.m. The partner centre calls an ambulance. The family gets a call from the first centre the next morning, who say they were “also informed late”.

Who should answer

The partner centre made the emergency decision and arranged the transfer, so it should explain what happened, what was done before the ambulance arrived, and who travelled with her. The first centre, if it took your money and promised a package, should explain how the arrangement handles this: does the bed stay held, does the fee pause, who pays for the ambulance?

Our post on a rehab centre’s emergency transfer plan lists the details worth confirming, and what a rehab centre’s hospital tie-up really means explains why a named hospital on a brochure is not the same as a working arrangement.

What to ask for in writing

• Which hospital the partner centre uses for emergencies.
• Who calls the family, and how soon, if a transfer happens at night.
• Who pays for the ambulance and hospital costs.
• Whether the programme fee is paused, adjusted or refunded during a hospital stay.

Scenario 3: A refund after early discharge

What happened (illustrative)

A family pays ₹1,80,000 upfront to a booking service for a 60-day stay. After 12 days, their adult son, who was admitted as an independent patient, asks to leave. The centre discharges him. The family asks for a partial refund. The booking service says refunds are “the centre’s policy”; the centre says the money went to the booking service.

Under the Mental Healthcare Act, an adult admitted as an independent patient can generally seek discharge, subject to certain conditions; see Section 88 on discharge of independent patients. So plan for early discharge financially; it is not unusual.

Who should answer

Whoever issued your receipt is the first port of call for a refund. If the booking service collected the full amount, it should explain its own refund terms, and how much of your money it passed to the centre. If the centre billed you directly, the centre answers. When both took money, each should account for its share.

What to ask for in writing

• A written refund policy before payment, covering early discharge, transfer and medical exit.
• A breakdown of the fee: what goes to the centre, what is the service’s fee or commission.
• Receipts in the name of the entity that actually received each payment.

If a refund dispute stalls, the government’s National Consumer Helpline (1915) is a pre-litigation route for consumer grievances, and consumer commissions exist beyond that. For larger amounts, take legal advice first.

Scenario 4: A complaint about staff behaviour or restraint

What happened (illustrative)

During a video call, a young man tells his sister that a staff member shouted at him and that he was held down and locked in a room overnight after an argument. The brand’s customer care team says all branches follow “head office standards”.

Who should answer

The partner centre where it happened. Decisions about restraint or seclusion are clinical and safety decisions, and they must be made, recorded and reviewed by the establishment and its clinicians, within what the law allows. A head office statement is not a substitute for that branch’s own records. Our guide on rehab restraint and seclusion policies explains what a safe, lawful policy should include and the questions to ask.

The brand still has a part to play. If it marketed the branch as meeting its standards, ask what those standards are and how it checks them.

What to ask for in writing

• A written account of the incident from the partner centre, including who authorised any restraint and for how long.
• What the centre is doing about the staff member’s conduct.
• How the brand or service monitors partner centres, and whether it has been told.

If you believe your family member is unsafe right now, you can arrange to bring them home or move them, and in an emergency call 112.

Scenario 5: Requesting medical records

What happened (illustrative)

After discharge, a family wants the full case file to share with a new psychiatrist. They write to the booking service, who forward a two-page summary on the brand’s letterhead. The new doctor needs the medication chart and progress notes.

Who should answer

The records live with the establishment that created them: the rehab partner centre where the treatment happened. The Mental Healthcare Act gives a person with mental illness a right to access their basic medical records, with limited exceptions; see Section 25 on the right to access medical records. Where the clinician withholds specific information, the law says the person must be told they can apply to the relevant Mental Health Review Board.

The Ministry of Health’s draft Patients’ Rights Charter also describes access to case papers and reports, and itemised bills, as basic patient rights. It is a draft, not a statute, but a useful reference.

Note that the right belongs to the patient. If your family member is an adult, the request usually needs their consent or should come from them.

What to ask for in writing

• A records request addressed to the partner centre, signed by the patient where possible.
• A discharge summary on the partner centre’s own letterhead, signed by the treating doctor with their registration number.
• Copies of the medication chart, investigation reports and progress notes, or a reason in writing for anything withheld.

Keeping your own copies from day one makes this easier. Our checklist of documents needed for rehab admission in India has a section on what to keep in your own file.

Scenario 6: The treatment plan changed without telling the family

What happened (illustrative)

A family chose a programme because the booking service described daily individual therapy and weekly family sessions. Two weeks in, they learn their mother is mostly in group sessions and has had one individual session. Nobody told them the plan had changed.

Who should answer

The treating team at the partner centre decides the plan and should explain changes in clinical terms. Plans do change for good reasons; what should not happen is a quiet drift from what was promised.

If the booking service described the programme to you, it is fair to ask them where that description came from. Promises made at the sales stage are a contractual matter; what is clinically right for your mother is a clinical one. Our post on psychiatrist, psychologist and counsellor roles in rehab explains who should be making which decisions.

What to ask for in writing

• The current written treatment plan, with its date and who prepared it.
• What changed, why, and who approved the change.
• How the family will be informed of future changes, with the patient’s consent.

A good plan should exist on paper from the first week. Our guide on what a written rehab treatment plan should include sets out what to expect.

Scenario 7: Billing surprises

What happened (illustrative)

A family is quoted ₹45,000 a month “all inclusive” by a network. The first bill from the partner centre adds charges for medicines, blood tests, a psychiatrist review and laundry. The network says its quote was “indicative”.

Who should answer

The party that gave the quote should stand behind it, or explain clearly what it covered. The centre that raised the extra charges should itemise them. A written all-inclusive quote is far stronger than a WhatsApp voice note.

For a sense of what typically sits inside and outside a fee, see our page on rehab cost in India. If you are weighing two offers, our guide to comparing rehab treatment proposals includes a way to line up inclusions side by side.

What to ask for in writing

• An itemised quote listing what is included and excluded: medicines, tests, doctor visits, detox, laundry, outings, family sessions.
• How extra charges are approved before they are incurred.
• Which entity will bill for each item.

Rehab partner centre responsibility matrix

Here is a general guide pulling the scenarios together. Real arrangements vary, so treat this as a starting point for your questions, not a ruling on any particular case.

Issue	Booking service	Partner centre	Treating psychiatrist
Medication error	Help you reach the right person quickly	Investigate, record, keep the patient safe	Review the patient, explain and adjust medicines
Emergency transfer	Explain what the package says about fees and beds	Arrange transfer, inform family, send records	Decide on transfer, hand over clinically
Refund after early discharge	Answer for money it collected and its own terms	Answer for money it collected	Confirm the clinical basis of discharge
Staff behaviour or restraint	Explain how it monitors partners	Investigate, act on staff conduct, share records	Authorise and review any restraint lawfully
Medical records	Pass on requests, not replace the file	Hold and release records	Sign summaries, decide any lawful withholding
Treatment plan changes	Explain what it promised and why	Keep the plan updated and shared	Lead clinical decisions about the plan
Billing surprises	Stand behind its quote	Itemise its charges	Explain any added tests or reviews

If you are speaking to us about admission, you can ask Second New Life these same questions about any arrangement we describe to you. A centre that is comfortable with them will answer clearly.

Clauses to look for before you sign

Whether you are signing with a booking service, a brand or the centre itself, these are the clauses that save arguments later. Ask for them on paper or by email, not as verbal assurances.

• Named parties. The full legal name and address of every organisation involved, including the partner centre where your family member will stay.
• Registration details. The partner centre’s mental health establishment registration number and the authority that issued it.
• Who treats. The name of the psychiatrist or medical officer responsible, and how often they see patients.
• Scope of services. What is included in the fee and what is billed separately.
• Refund and cancellation. What happens on early discharge, medical transfer, transfer to another centre or admission being declined.
• Emergency arrangements. Which hospital, who pays, and how the family is informed.
• Complaints. A named person at the centre and at the booking service, with a response time.
• Records. How the patient can get copies of their records and discharge summary.
• Information sharing. What the booking service will be told about the patient’s care, with the patient’s consent.
• Transfer clause. Whether the patient can be moved to another partner without the family’s agreement.

That last one matters more than people expect. If a contract lets a service move your family member between partner facilities “as needed”, ask for that wording to be changed so any move needs your consent and the patient’s. Our post on changing rehab centres mid-treatment explains why unplanned moves can unsettle recovery.

Red flags in partner arrangements

Network rehab centres and referral models are not wrong in themselves, and many families get good care this way. These signs suggest an arrangement is built more around sales than care:

• You are not told the partner centre’s name until the day of admission.
• The booking service will not give you the centre’s address or let you visit first.
• Nobody can show you the partner centre’s own registration certificate; you are shown the brand’s.
• Payment must go to a personal account, or receipts do not name the organisation that received the money.
• Refund terms are “case to case” with nothing in writing.
• The service insists all communication with the centre goes through them.
• You are pushed to decide within hours, with a “last bed” or “today only” price.
• Complaints are met with “that’s the centre’s problem” from one side and “talk to the agent” from the other.

A partner centre that has only just opened carries its own questions about staffing and track record. Our separate guide on questions to ask a newly opened rehab centre covers those.

Questions for the booking service vs questions for the centre

Split your questions so each answer comes from someone who can be held to it.

Ask the booking service

1. “Are you paid by us, by the centre, or both? How much?”
2. “What is the full name and address of the centre you are recommending?”
3. “How did you choose this centre, and when did someone from your team last visit it?”
4. “If we are unhappy, what can you do, and what can’t you do?”
5. “What is your refund policy, separate from the centre’s?”
6. “Who on your team can we contact after admission, and at what hours?”

A good answer to the first question is specific and unembarrassed: “The centre pays us a fixed fee per admission; we charge you nothing.” A worrying answer is “Don’t worry about that, it’s all included.”

Ask the partner centre

1. “Can we see your own registration certificate under the Mental Healthcare Act?”
2. “Who is the psychiatrist responsible, and how often do they review patients?”
3. “What did the booking service tell you about our family member and our expectations?”
4. “Will you bill us directly for anything? Please list what.”
5. “How do we reach the doctor directly if we have a concern?”
6. “What happens in a medical emergency at night?”

A good sign at the centre: they answer you directly and do not need the booking service on the line. A worrying sign: they ask you to “check with the agent” about their own clinical procedures.

Frequently asked questions

Is a rehab partner centre always worse than booking directly?

No. A partner centre can provide excellent care, and referral services sometimes help families find a suitable place quickly. The quality depends on the centre itself, its registration, staff and practices. The risk with partner arrangements is mainly confusion about responsibility, which you can reduce by getting roles, contacts and refund terms in writing before admission.

Who is liable in rehab if something goes wrong at a partner facility?

Generally, clinical care is the responsibility of the registered establishment where the patient stays and its treating clinicians. Money and promises made at booking usually rest with whoever took payment and signed the paperwork. Actual liability depends on the facts and documents in each case, so for serious disputes, take advice from a qualified lawyer.

Can I complain directly to the partner centre if I booked through an agent?

Yes. You do not need the agent’s permission to raise a concern with the centre caring for your family member. Write to the centre’s management and the treating doctor, and copy the booking service so there is a record. Keep a note of dates, names and what you were told.

Who should give us the discharge summary and records?

The partner centre where treatment happened holds the records, and its treating doctor should sign the discharge summary. A booking service can pass requests along but should not replace the original file. Under the Mental Healthcare Act, the patient has a right to access their basic medical records, with limited exceptions.

How do I handle a rehab refund dispute with a booking service?

Start with the written refund policy and your receipts. Write to the party that took your money, asking for a breakdown and a timeline. If that fails, the National Consumer Helpline (1915) is a pre-litigation route for consumer grievances, and consumer commissions can hear complaints after that. For large amounts, speak to a lawyer first.

Should every branch of a rehab network have its own registration?

Registration under the Mental Healthcare Act relates to the establishment providing care, so it is reasonable to expect each separate treatment premises to show its own registration. Ask for the certificate for the specific address where your family member will stay, and check it with the State Mental Health Authority if you are unsure.

Before you pay, draw the map

Take a sheet of paper, or a note on your phone, and write three names: who took your money, where your family member will sleep, and which doctor is in charge. Next to each, write a phone number and what they have promised in writing. If you cannot fill in all three lines, you are not ready to pay yet, however urgent the situation feels.

If someone is in danger right now, call 112. For mental health support at any hour, Tele-MANAS is on 14416, and the national de-addiction helpline is 14446. If you would like to talk through an admission, including who would be responsible for what, you can contact the Second New Life team or call +91 84481 77994.