Private consultations

If you wish to book an appointment for a private assessment, please telephone my PA, Natalie: 020 3137 9911 or email here.

Consultations can be made by remote video if you can complete various questionnaires online before the consultation. Face to face consultations can take place at at the Nightingale Hospital on a Friday morning or in Muswell Hill (Wednesdays or Friday afternoons).

For private consultations with a long history, it can be helpful to have a referral with any background information from your general practitioner, therapist or consultant. This is not necessary if, for example, you do not have a GP or do not wish your GP to be involved. However, if you wish to claim the fees from some health insurers, they may require you to be referred by your GP.

If you need to take medication, I am reluctant to prescribe without your GP knowing what you are taking. There is a waiting list to see private patients (but can see urgent referrals when necessary). I do not see patients at weekends.

I charge £430 for an initial assessment (about 60-75 minutes). This includes a written summary and any recommendations. Follow up appointments are £190 (for half an hour), £280 (for 3/4 hour) and £375 (for an hour). Prescriptions or supporting letters outside of consultations are £70.

These fees are normally recoverable under medical insurance (e.g., BUPA, AXA PPP, Norwich Union, Standard Life, Simply Health) if it has been pre-authorised by your insurer. My terms will be sent or emailed to you when an appointment is confirmed.

For an initial consultation, my PA will ask you to complete some questionnaires online beforehand. This provides me with a comprehensive picture of your background and information on your problem. I will gain further information during our consultation and usually come to a diagnosis and some understanding with you about the development and what is keeping your problem going. At this stage I am providing an overview.

Occasionally I might recommend some investigations. This will then lead to a discussion of treatment options and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Usually there is a choice of cognitive behaviour therapy or medication or a combination of the two. For therapy, I will usually recommend a trusted colleague as I have a limited capacity in my private practice as I also work in the NHS or in research.

I will see a patient for an assessment with a person’s partner or relative if requested by a patient. Our consultation will normally last about an hour to an hour and a quarter depending on the complexity of the problem. I will then provide a written summary of our assessment and recommendations to you which can be sent to you,  and with your consent to your GP, Consultant or therapist. You may withhold consent for a report to be sent to anyone.

For  my consulting rooms in Muswell Hill, my secretary will send you directions. I do not see private patients at the Maudsley or Bethlem Royal Hospitals.

I am not a specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry but I do assess adolescents who suffer from my specialties in OCD, BDD or emetophobia. Please see the Adolescents page for more information.

I am not covered by my medical insurer for patients who are not living in the UK. Their rule is that patients have to reside in the UK at least as a temporary visitor before I can assess you.

I have resigned from my role as the lead OCD consultant at the Nightingale Hospital and am no longer admitting patients to the OCD unit of the hospital. He continues to offer urgent or routine assessments for individuals with OCD and related disorders (e.g. BDD, health anxiety, and emetophobia). If you have OCD or a related disorder, there are other possible care options to inpatient care especially for non-insured patients (e.g. intensive therapy or admission to a residential unit)

If you need nursing care (for example you are at risk of suicide, severe self-harm, self-neglect or use drugs and alcohol) then please contact the Patient Services Team at the Nightingale 0207 535 7700  and they will arrange for you to be assessed by another consultant

Out-patients are normally seen by a recommended colleague, who may be closer to your home or work or you can see you remotely.

We are offering with Triple Chronotherapy at the Nightingale Hospital for the rapid treatment of depression. Not everyone is suitable. There are three main components namely Wake Therapy, Phase Advance of sleep and Bright Light Therapy. Wake Therapy includes sleep deprivation for one night and then going to bed at 5pm for 8 hours. You then advance the time you go to bed over 4 days.

In the longer term, the focus in treatment is on daily light therapy, Behavioural Activation, sleep hygiene and changes in your lifestyle (for example diet and use of alcohol) and reducing rumination.

If the chronotherapy works, and there is improvement in your mood over the first week then you can tackle longer standing problems such as conflicts or losses in your life that may be contributing to your depressed mood.

My private work is conducted through my company, de Coverly Limited, Solar House, 915 High Road, North Finchley, London, N12 8QJ. Registered in England & Wales, Registered Number: 7960388.