Referral and Appointment Process

Referral

We understand that for some, taking the first step to see a Consultant Psychiatrist can be a daunting experience.  Our team is at hand to offer support and advice. When you contact us, we will help guide you through the referral process, help complete your claim (if you have private health insurance) and if necessary, help you decide which of our Consultants may best suit your needs. 

We aim to offer you an appointment within two weeks of receiving your request. Please note that we are not an emergency or crisis service and operate between the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Should you have any urgent concerns then we would advise that you contact emergency NHS services, either through your GP, 111 or 999.

If the appointment is being funded via medical insurance then a GP referral is usually required (we are registered with all of the leading medical insurance companies). For self funding patients, a GP referral is not needed. Our experience however is that it is usually best to work alongside your GP and they can also assist in providing prescriptions.

 

Appointments

Appointments are usually booked for 55 mins if you are a new patient and for 25 mins for a follow up.  Our consulting rooms are based at Litfield House in Clifton, Bristol ,the Priory Hospital in Bristol and the Nuffield Hospital, Bristol. We are also able to consider requests for home visits based on clinical need (please note however that separate charges apply). 

The purpose of the initial appointment is to listen to your current difficulties and gather information about your previous life experiences. By the end of the initial consultation we will formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan with you. This may include the option of medication, talking therapy or cutting edge technologies – such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. We have links with therapists whom we have direct experience of working.

 

Confidentiality

Following your appointment with us, it would be usual practice for the Consultant to write to your GP with a summary of the consultation, together with the diagnosis and proposed treatment. If you have any concerns with regards to privacy then please discuss this with the Consultant.

Your consultation is confidential however there are situations wherein doctors have an obligation to disclose information, for example, doctors are obliged to disclose information if it is required by the law, including by the courts. On rare occasions, it may be necessary for doctors to disclose information to protect individuals or society from risks of serious harm.