Private psychiatrist consultation cost in the UK: what you pay privately (2026)

A private psychiatrist consultation is an assessment with a consultant psychiatrist for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, OCD or other mental health concerns, with a diagnosis, treatment plan and, if appropriate, medication.

Hospital price pages give a first idea of scale. The private psychiatrist consultation entries we retrieved sat between £25 to £360; the rows below show which hospital and which variant each figure refers to.

None of these numbers is an offer to treat. Providers confirm a final price after assessment, and consultant or anaesthetist fees may be set separately.

The psychiatrist asks about your symptoms, history and circumstances, may use questionnaires, and discusses a diagnosis and options including therapy and medication. A letter usually follows.

Ask how many appointments are likely, what the follow-up fee is and whether the psychiatrist will work with your GP.

A single guide figure for private psychiatrist consultation can mislead, because the final amount depends on factors like these.

• Length of appointment: Psychiatry-UK lists a standard one-hour assessment at £360, a 30-minute follow-up at £180 and a 60-minute follow-up at £360.

• Initial versus follow-up: ongoing reviews continue as long as medication or monitoring is needed.

• Additional time: extra consultation time is charged per minute at that provider.

• Reports and letters: some are free and some charged.

• Private prescription fees: a prescription fee of £25 is listed at that provider, plus pharmacy costs.

Providers define a package differently, so two quotes are only comparable once you line up what each covers. The table lists what is typically in and what is often billed separately for this procedure.

Insurers often cover psychiatrist consultations on referral, with limits on outpatient mental health benefits, and may require a recognised consultant.

Insurers often agree a procedure code and a fee ceiling in advance. Self-pay patients should ask whether instalment finance is offered and what the total repayable would be, as the representative rate and terms differ by lender.

NHS mental health care is accessed through your GP or self-referral services such as talking therapies, with specialist psychiatry by referral, and waits vary widely.

NHS care is free at the point of use, and for non-urgent consultant-led treatment the standard is 18 weeks from referral. You also have the right to choose where you are referred in England. Local waits differ, so ask what applies near you.

There is no physical recovery. The practical cost is the number of review appointments required for your plan.

No one plans for things to go wrong, but a short conversation about extra costs now can save difficulty later.

• Ongoing medication reviews continue for as long as treatment lasts, so budget for repeat appointments rather than a single fee.

• If you are in crisis or thinking of harming yourself, contact NHS 111, your GP, Samaritans or 999 rather than waiting for a booked appointment.

Quotes only compare fairly when they cover the same things. Put these questions to every provider you approach.

• What is the initial fee and how long is the appointment?

• What do follow-up appointments cost?

• How are prescriptions handled and charged?

• Will you write to my GP?

• Will I receive one price covering the hospital, the consultant and the anaesthetic, or several bills from different parties?