Concierge psychiatry · London
Private psychiatric assessment - London
A 60 to 90 minute consultation with a GMC-registered consultant psychiatrist. Structured, unhurried and matched to the question you actually want answered - diagnosis, medication review, second opinion or complex comorbidity.
What it is
A structured interview, not a form-filling exercise.
The assessment is led by a GMC-registered consultant psychiatrist, in a private consultation room or by secure video. Expect 60 to 90 minutes of clinical questioning that follows a defined structure and covers current symptoms, personal and family psychiatric history, past and current medication, alcohol and substance use, and a proportionate risk assessment. Where they help clarify the picture, standardised tools are used alongside the interview - PHQ-9, GAD-7, MDQ, PCL-5, YBOCS or the ASRS. Everything is written up in a formulation that ties symptoms, history and context into a working diagnosis and a treatment plan.
When to go private
Seven reasons people book a private psychiatrist.
NHS psychiatry is excellent when you can access it. These are the situations where private care usually adds something real.
-
The diagnosis is unclear
Mixed anxiety-depression, overlapping ADHD, autism and trauma need unhurried differentiation.
-
A medication review is overdue
Long-term SSRI, mood stabiliser or stimulant regimens deserve a structured re-evaluation.
-
Treatment-resistant symptoms
Two or more failed antidepressant trials, or ongoing symptoms despite therapy.
-
You want a second opinion
Confirming or challenging an existing diagnosis before committing to long-term treatment.
-
Complex comorbidity
Physical illness, addiction, perinatal issues or neurodivergence in combination.
-
Urgency
You need to be seen within days, not the NHS twelve to eighteen week wait.
-
Work-related reasons
Occupational health, fitness-to-practise, regulated professions and executive review.
Differential
What a first assessment is looking for.
A single symptom cluster - low mood, worry, restlessness, intrusive thoughts - can point to several conditions. The consultant works through the differential systematically.
-
Depression
Unipolar, melancholic, atypical, seasonal or postnatal presentations.
-
Generalised anxiety
Persistent worry, muscle tension, sleep disturbance and autonomic symptoms.
-
Panic disorder
Recurrent panic attacks with or without agoraphobic avoidance.
-
PTSD and complex PTSD
Trauma-related intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal and altered self-perception.
-
Bipolar I and II
Historical hypomania or mania, mood instability, cyclothymic patterns.
-
OCD
Intrusive thoughts, compulsions, hoarding or body-focused variants.
-
Adult ADHD
Inattention, executive dysfunction and impulsivity from childhood onward.
-
Autism spectrum
Social communication differences, sensory profile and lifelong pattern.
-
Personality patterns
Emotionally unstable, avoidant, obsessional and other enduring traits.
-
Psychosis
First-episode assessment, unusual beliefs, perceptual disturbance.
-
ARFID and eating
Restrictive, avoidant or binge-purge patterns, medical risk review.
What you receive
The paperwork that follows the appointment.
Four documents that keep the plan portable, whether you continue privately or return to NHS care.
- 01 Deliverable
A written diagnostic report
Formulation, ICD-11 or DSM-5-TR diagnoses, risk assessment and reasoning.
- 02 Deliverable
A medication plan
A private prescription with titration schedule and monitoring parameters.
- 03 Deliverable
A referral to therapy
CBT, EMDR, DBT, schema or psychodynamic, matched to the formulation.
- 04 Deliverable
A shared care letter to your GP
So NHS follow-up, blood tests and repeat prescribing can continue safely.
Follow-up
How the reviews are usually spaced.
Follow-up cadence is set by clinical need, not by a subscription.
-
Review at four to eight weeks
A 30 to 45 minute appointment to check response, side effects and next steps.
-
Monthly titration
While a new medication is being introduced, monthly reviews are standard.
-
Longer intervals when stable
Every three to six months once the plan is settled and symptoms are controlled.
Cost in London
Honest ranges across the London market.
Fees vary with seniority, subspecialty and appointment length. Reports and letters are usually included; medication is billed separately by the pharmacy.
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Initial consultant assessment (60 to 90 minutes) | £350 to £850 |
| Follow-up review (30 to 45 minutes) | £200 to £450 |
| Written diagnostic report | Usually included |
| Private prescription | £25 to £45 |
Where
The private psychiatry clinics we work with in London.
A short list of the CQC-registered outpatient services we most often route people to. Matching is done on subspecialty, insurer, geography and personal fit.
-
Nightingale Hospital
Marylebone
Independent psychiatric hospital with inpatient and outpatient services.
-
The Priory
Multiple London sites
Nationwide network for mood, addiction and inpatient care.
-
One Welbeck Mental Health
Marylebone
Consultant-led outpatient psychiatry in a modern day-hospital setting.
-
The London Psychiatry Centre
Harley Street
Treatment-resistant depression, rTMS and second opinions.
-
Cadogan Clinic
Chelsea
Boutique consultant clinic covering anxiety, mood and ADHD.
-
Harley Therapy
The City and Chelsea
Consultant psychiatrists alongside a large therapist network.
-
HCA The Wellington
St John's Wood
Full-service private hospital with a mental health outpatient department.
Related
Adjacent assessments and condition guides.
If ADHD, autism, depression or anxiety is the question, start here.
-
Adult ADHD assessment
QbTest, DIVA-5 and consultant-led diagnosis.
Learn more -
Adult autism assessment
ADOS-2, ADI-R and lifelong developmental review.
Learn more -
Depression
Diagnosis, medication, therapy and long-term care.
Learn more -
Anxiety
GAD, panic, health anxiety and social anxiety pathways.
Learn more
Frequently asked
Insurance, prescriptions and shared care.
The six questions we field most often before someone books.
-
Is a private psychiatric assessment covered by insurance?
Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, Aviva, WPA, Cigna and Healix generally cover consultant psychiatric assessment with a GP referral and pre-authorisation. ADHD and autism assessments are excluded by many policies, so always confirm before booking.
-
Can I take a private prescription to an NHS pharmacy?
Yes. Any UK community pharmacy can dispense a valid private prescription. You pay the full drug cost rather than the NHS levy, so ask the pharmacist to quote before dispensing.
-
Is the consultation confidential?
Yes. Private psychiatric records are held by the clinic and not shared with the NHS unless you consent, except in rare safeguarding or Mental Health Act situations. Insurers only receive coded billing information.
-
Will my GP accept shared care?
Most GPs will accept shared care for common medications such as SSRIs, SNRIs and mood stabilisers. Controlled drugs, including stimulants for ADHD, depend on your local ICB policy and your GP's comfort.
-
Should I choose online or in-person?
Video consultation is well suited to reviews, medication follow-up and geographic flexibility. A first diagnostic assessment, and any case involving significant risk, is usually better done in person.
-
What if I need urgent help?
Private psychiatry is not an emergency service. If you are in crisis, call 999, go to A&E, or call the Samaritans on 116 123 or NHS 111. We can arrange an urgent private appointment within one to three working days for non-crisis situations.
Speak to a consultant
The right psychiatrist, matched to your question.
Tell us what is going on. We come back within one working day with two or three consultants, fees and the first available appointments across our London panel.