Privacy Policy

All the services we provide are charged for. We operate as a not-for-profit independent organisation. This means you can always be assured that our fees are the lowest we can reach while maintaining the highest quality of assessment and support. Please get in touch with the admin team for any specific queries about pricing.

Our assessments adhere to NICE guidelines, utilizing "gold standard" approaches conducted by fully accredited practitioners. However, GPs may have specific regulations for private assessments. We recommend checking directly with your GP to ensure compliance with their requirements. If there are specific needs, inform us, and we'll assess our capability to fulfill them.

An observer is crucial for neurodevelopmental assessments at S E I K Psychiatry. They provide an account of your symptoms throughout life, enhancing the accuracy of the assessment. While a parent or guardian is the most beneficial observer, a family member or a long-term partner/friend can also serve this role. If having an observer is not possible, discuss options with our team, or consider seeking an assessment elsewhere, ideally within the NHS.

Many adults and children with undiagnosed neurodevelopmental conditions develop the ability to mask and have coping strategies to get through day to day life. Clinicians at S E I K Psychiatry are specialists in the field, and they are experienced in understanding the complexities of masking. Spend some time before the assessment thinking about how you mask and in which situations, and talking about these with your observer. Remember to consider what you were like at different times in your life such as childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. Share information about your masking and coping strategies during the assessment. Bringing notes about these aspects can be helpful in ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of your symptoms and traits.

It is essential that you and your observer join from a secure, quiet, and confidential location in the UK, ideally your home to make sure the clinicians can hear you clearly and carry out the assessment appropriately. Your observer can join the video consultation from a different location to you. The assessment process can be emotionally challenging and we recommend joining from the same location as your observer where possible so they can support you if you become upset or distressed. Be sure to test your equipment before the appointment as the clinician will need to reschedule your appointment if they cannot hear or see you clearly, and you may need to pay for a new appointment.

For complex trauma, abuse, or substance use, a face-to-face assessment such as within the NHS assessment is often recommended. Our screening questionnaire assists in identifying cases best handled locally. S E I K Psychiatry may decline assessments requiring a different assessment pathway, or more support than we can offer remotely. Honest responses to the questionnaire are crucial for effective assessment.

Certainly. We understand unique preferences based on social, cultural, religious, and linguistic needs. Share your preferences with us, and we'll strive to accommodate them for a personalized experience.

No. Our clinicians can only provide a diagnosis if they believe you meet the diagnostic criteria. It would not be possible or ethical to guarantee a diagnosis. Complex histories or external factors may impact outcomes. We cannot refund fees based on diagnosis absence, as our service provides a rigorous UK best practice model assessment, not a specific diagnosis.

Each NHS region has slightly different regulations about how and when they take over from independent assessments. Please ask your GP whether this is something that can do, and whether they are happy and able to follow the psychiatrist’s recommendations under a SharedCare Agreement, or by taking a Transfer of Care. Please be aware, under a SharedCare Agreement, you may still require follow up appointments with a private practitioner at regular intervals.

We will send you a full, detailed report within 3 weeks of your assessment concluding. If you have been given a diagnosis, we will also send you a confirmation letter stating your diagnosis only. This can be useful to share with employers for example, if you do not wish them to read your personal history that is included in the report.

Feeling nervous is very normal. Let our admin team know about your concerns, and we'll work to address them. Our clinicians understand nerves and will provide supportive and understanding guidance throughout the appointment. Be sure to read the assessment guide leaflet to familiarize yourself with the process. Having a trusted person with you during the assessment can offer extra support.

Yes. Our Adult Autism Assessment includes the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO), conducted by an experienced psychologist or psychotherapist which is an inclusive Autism assessment tool particularly useful for assessing Autism in women and non-binary people. This is followed by an assessment by a neurodevelopmental specialist psychiatrist to ensure a comprehensive evaluation.

While practitioners recognize PDA as part of Autism within the spectrum, it is not separately diagnosed by DSM-5 , ICD-10, or ICD-11. This means it can't be diagnosed but it can be referred to as part of an Autism diagnosis if appropriate.

In our remote independent setting, our practitioners require supporting information from a professional third party as recommended by the NICE guidelines. This is ideally a teacher or SEN lead from a school. In cases where this isn't possible, you can try an alternative option such as a tutor for home-schooling, or someone from any extra curricular activities they attend. Depending on their age, and if they have left school within the last 2 years, it may be possible for a previous teacher to complete the questionnaires. Sufficient supporting evidence is crucial, and a diagnosis may not be reached without it. S E I K Psychiatry reserve the right to decline any assessment request if you are unable to provide sufficient supporting evidence. If you're unsure, get in touch with the onboarding team to discuss this further.

Absolutely. Many patients use our assessment reports to access EHCP.

Yes, our clinicians are experienced in understanding masking complexities. Share information about how your child masks and their coping strategies during the assessment. Encourage your child to share how they feel with the clinicians. It is important that the clinicians have enough evidence to support a diagnosis, think about different settings that your child's symptoms present in and share information with them. The clinician's must be able to evidence that the symptoms are present in a setting outside of home such as school, or an extra curricular activity. A professional in one of these settings will need to fill out pre-assessment questionnaires about your child's symptoms and traits.

Following your part 2 assessment, your psychiatrist may request that you undertake an ECG prior to starting any medication. This may have been requested due to your own medical history, family medical history, or the physical measurements you have submitted. To get your ECG, you can: 1. Book an ECG test with a private cardiology service in your local area - Fastest option, but more expensive 2. Ask your GP (your regular doctor) to do the test for you - May take longer, but usually free of charge It is essential that the psychiatrist puts your health and wellbeing first when prescribing medication. This can sometimes cause delays which can be disappointing or frustrating. The best way to avoid this is by being proactive and helping us by taking the lead on your care. You can: 1. Research private providers in your area and contact them to make the arrangements 2. Schedule an appointment with your GP to ask them to help you access an ECG 3. Keep us updated! 4. If you think it is taking too long, get in touch with us to talk through your options.

Stabilizing on medication varies per patient. Follow-up appointments are needed for health reviews and ongoing prescriptions. The number of appointments depends on individual responses to medication. Budget for monthly review appointments during the initial months of trying medication.

S E I K Psychiatry does not sell or dispense medication. Any medication prescribed by a practitioner at S E I K Psychiatry is sent as a private prescription to a pharmacy of your choice. You are automatically assigned to an online pharmacy, Pharmacierge, unless you have opted out and sent us your local pharmacy details. You purchase the medication directly from the pharmacy. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to give a price list for medications, as there is a huge variation between different medication brands, quantity prescribed, and length of prescription. On top of this, each pharmacy has their own mark-ups on the medication they sell. We strongly recommend researching any recommended medications and asking your local pharmacies for their costs. More information about Pharmacierge can be found here. Only existing patients will be able to log into this page.

Once your prescriber has confirmed you are stable and can book repeat prescriptions; contact the admin team via email or phone to book a repeat prescription. Prescriptions will be scheduled for the next 'prescription delivery day', and can take up to 7 days to arrive once they have been sent out. Plan ahead and let the team know how many days medication you have at the time of booking so that we can try to avoid a break where possible.

If you don’t submit your physical measurements in time for your prescription or appointment, here’s what will happen: For Prescription Bookings (No Appointment): If the required form is not submitted, your prescription will be automatically rescheduled for the following week. You will need to complete the form by the new deadline to avoid further delays. For Appointments: If you attend your appointment but haven’t submitted your physical measurements, we will still conduct the appointment, but your prescription will be rescheduled for the following week. You will need to complete the form by the new deadline to avoid further delays.

On the rare occasion that your prescription is incorrect, contact us immediately, we’re ready to help. We will resolve this as quickly as possible. You may be eligible for a prescribing request with your GP, to find out, let us know how much medication you have left and if you are continuing on the same medication.

A shared care agreement begins when you and your nurse or psychiatrist agree that you've reached a stable medication dose. We request a shared care agreement with your GP. Your GP takes over prescribing, providing NHS prescriptions, while you return to S E I K for review appointments every 6 months or annually, as per your GP's requirements. Check with your GP whether they accept Shared Care with private services and let us know if there are any specific requirements that need to be met.

Acceptance depends on your GP practice and the Integrated Care Board or Clinical Commissioning Group in your area. Always check with your GP for their specific requirements, which can vary. Some GP practices may have limitations or stability duration requirements before accepting the agreement. Be aware of these before starting your medication journey.

Yes! Per your GP's agreement, you'll attend a medication review with S E I K every 6 months or annually. You'll also need an appointment with S E I K if you want to change medication or adjust the dose, return to S E I K for reviews until stability, then we'll update the shared care agreement with your GP. S E I K Psychiatry and your GP may end the Shared Care Agreement if you do not keep up with these reviews.

Don't panic! S E I K can support you with your ongoing care. Schedule repeat prescriptions/review appointments as needed. If rejected, your GP should provide a reason. Schedule an appointment with them to discuss and explore potential next steps. Additionally, inquire with other local GP practices, as refusals may be practice-specific rather than area-wide policies.