Psychiatry-UK

Written by a NHS patient

I'm so relieved that I chose Psychiatry uk via NHS Right to choose after relatives suggested I may have adhd. It took several months to get an initial appointment for the consultation. This took one hour over Zoom and I was satisfied with the diagnosis. It then took another six months until I could start titration. (These timescales are about average and may be higher now due to demand). I used the online portal extensively during titration and it's important to send case notes and complete the forms on time to get the best out of the service. I spoke to my prescribing doctor a few times initially due to not getting on with stimulants. He was sympathetic and knowledgeable about options etc. I did lots of research and shared concerns/ideas with the prescribing doctor and we worked together to find what works. I've been happy with the service and eternally grateful for finding suitable medication that now makes my life a lot easier and happier.

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Rating not given.

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

I was treated for ADHD and I think it is such a shame that the treatment of ADHD does not seem to take account of many typical ADHD traits. I did not feel properly supported during this treatment and it has been a great source of anxiety for me, which I feel could have been avoided with better communication, clearer information, and at least one face to face conversation.

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Rating not given.

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

Psychiatry UK is a very serious and professional institution that analyses in depth each and every one of your symptoms using not only your self-stated symptoms but also your past history and the statement of closely related individuals in order to gather impartial/unbiased information also. The only "issue" is the time it takes to get a consultation and for the treatment to start (although it is due to a high volume of patients requiring assessments too). However, you do receive updates about the next steps of your treatment and when you are expected to have the first appointment, when the titration process is planned to start and when your medication is likely to be delivered. If through your assessment, the psychiatrist believes that you would benefit from getting medicated, they will explain what are the types of medication usually used to treat your condition and will suggest the most recommended type for your specific case. If you agree to be medicated, they send you a blood pressure machine at home and you start a titration process. The titration process is very well conducted. You have a prescriber who indicates which medication they suggest you taking, the dosage you will start with and you review the effects of the medication every week. The review include your current medication and dosage you are taking, your weight, height, side affects (if any) and the effect in the symptoms of your condition. If the medication or the dosage does not work at first, the prescriber makes the necessary changes until you reach a satisfactory level of improvements in your symptoms. Overall, highly recommended service, specially considering how serious they take their patients and that is available for the whole population at no costs.

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

Was overall a really easy and positive experience, was a long process of trial and error to find one that suited my needs and worked best for me individually. My prescriber was kind and attentive and made sure to follow up on specific points made even weeks before

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Rating not given.

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

I was given medication for ADHD and then fell down a rabbit hole between the admin, doctor, and prescribing nurse. I had come over my anti-depressants to try new ADHD medication and I have been left for 8 weeks with nothing and customer services have not replied to me. The whole process has big holes in it, the right-hand does not talk to the left hand, and vice-versa. I have been left in a very difficult place with mental health and I can't get anybody to help me. NO DUTY OF CARE OR ETHICAL PRACTICE HERE . Maybe it's becasue I am a NHS patient ?

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

Today is my titration day. I started my journey by a video call with a psychiatrist. He asked me questions and gave me his thoughts at the end. I was right “you’ve got ADHD”. I thought I was lazy and disorganised… I’d never amount to anything etc etc. one year on from that day I’ve just been signed off psychiatry UK’s support and I’m out in the big wide world. I had ups and downs with my medication, trying to find the correct dosage. Unfortunately I’m a fainter (always have been), so this played with me for a while. I am now on the correct dosage, which my prescriber worked hard to get to me there, taking note of every thing I said and every side effect no matter how big or small. He was a message away whenever I had a question or I needed anything and would reply rapidly. My life is now completely different. I used to nap for most of the day and then all night ( I was always feeling tired), I used to have a high dosage of antidepressants, mood swings, impulsive etc… I have now had a step up at work, my house is always tidy, I never need a nap, my life is organised and I haven’t needed an antidepressant since. I can honestly say this is the best service I have ever received and I’m over the moon. Thank you to my psychiatrist and prescriber… both of which have changed my life.

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Rating not given.

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

Easy to navigate the portal, and quick response times.

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

I was on the waiting list for give or take 6 months (although I may have delayed it by being very ADHD about all the forms you have to fill in beforehand!). I had just gone through a mental health crisis, been in hospital, talked with various teams, health professionals and psychiatrists and I never felt heard or understood by any of my doctors and I felt like I was at the end of the line. Then out of the blue I got a call about the appointment I’d sort of forgotten about on psychiatry uk and it was the first time I ever felt heard and not judged or disbelieved which is also traumatic when that happens. I’m happy with my diagnosis’ and the whole diagnostic letter I could tell that my psychiatrist had actually listened to me and presented a very fair unbiased view. I think this was such a big step for me that the medication doesn’t matter as much. Although it helps. Having a psychiatrist listen to me and not spin me round in circles which drive me more insane than I feel to start with is a first in my life. Thank you Doctor Wiktor Kulik!

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

I was impressed with how quickly I got my diagnosis after my assessment with Dr Zia. I spoke for an hour or so and was asked questions. He immediately told me I had ADHD. As a Black person who has waited 21 years of my life for something I did not know I had - was very emotional. Due to the fact that a lot of Black people have to wait years or may never get formal diagnosis for neurodevelopmental conditions. I appreciated how seamlessly the assessment was with Dr Zia, he was quite funny too. I began the titration process to find the best medication for me. I had Lorraine who was my titration Nurse. Lorraine was amazing in terms of answering the many questions I had, allowing me to feel involved in the titration process and offering advice when I asked. Also Lorraine was very attentive as I experienced many symptoms on different medications, so Lorraine made sure I was doing good and made decisions to stop medicines when needed. It was very easy and comfortable having Lorraine as my prescriber. In general, I liked that the service was online, it made it accessible. The delivery of medication was also pretty good, I got my medication mostly on time. I would definitely recommended this service!

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Rating not given.

Staff

Safe

Written by a NHS patient

I must start with saying I find it extremely difficult to navigate health care settings as to give a little background. I find it near impossible to advocate for myself which definitely contributes to my experience here and unfortunately I do not have anyone else in my life who can help me with this. This was explained to my Psychiatrist and my Prescriber during my care but mainly fell on deaf ears. I will say that I have seen a plethora of shining reviews for Psychiatry UK and unfortunately my experience was the opposite. I was under their care for 3 years, received my adhd diagnosis and have been waiting for medication since. Getting the diagnosis was smooth sailing it was around a 9 month wait which is understandable with the shortages that if you are looking at reviews im sure you already know about. it was another 6 months before I received a message in talks of starting titration although this never began. to begin with you are asked to measure your blood pressure and pulse daily. My bp was completely normal but pulse slightly above normal so from here my treatment was put on hold until I I had everything checked out by the GP. I went for multiple tests with the GP who confirmed that my pulse was slightly raised but everything was normal so there was nothing they could do as my pulse was to low to be a concern enough for any treatment. it took months for this outcome and a lot of me as the hot potato being thrown back and forth between GP & Psych while them not talking to each other even for results of tests. After months of tests and dr appointments back to the pyschiatrst I went with this information who basically said yeah no that's fine we will just start a slow titration will be started soon and asked how I was feeling, any issues or complaints of recent? Me a Audhder at this point being 2 years in, sick of jumping through invisible hoops and them moving goal posts took that literally and expressed how I needed more support with this process. I explained again my struggle with advocating for myself in heath care setting, how my executive dysfunction has gotten worse due to the stress of trying to navigate this service how I did not think the service was very adhd friendly and how constantly begging for help with this process both from GP and them had really had a detrimental effect on my mental health. To which the response was have you spoken to your gp about that, your mood should really be stable before we start treatment so we advise you go back to your gp. This same week I saw a tweet from someone expressing joy having just started medication and how much it has changed their lives and I liked it but carried on with my day. I kept thinking about and later on I went back and looked at thread and the tweet was actually someone who was a psychiatry uk patient and they were expressing how amazing of a service it was and how there were other services other than medications like therapy and diet plans that they were offer by pyschiatry uk. And this is where I became livid I do not know that this is true although I saw other people agreeing with this statement that they had gotten other treatment where I had been offered nothing for 2 years and was actively begging for anything. I can not stress how much this had such a negative effect on me, I went into one of the biggest burnouts of my life that I am still trying to claw my way out of, I have been suicidal and have now been discharged for non engagement of treatment although no treatment was ever started and I am back to square one. I will say if you have a good support system or can navigate the health care system you will be fine but if you have any needs that make you vulnerable you will not get any help and you should look elsewhere

Recommend

Dignity/Respect

Involvement

Information

Cleanliness

Rating not given.

Staff

Safe