Accessing treatment at Nightingale Hospital
You can access treatment at Nightingale Hospital in one of two ways.
- Self-refer yourself by contacting us or submitting an online enquiry form
- Get your GP or health professional (for example a therapist, occupational health doctor, medical specialist of any kind) to refer you. They are able to submit an online referral via our website.
For good practice and continuity of care, we strongly recommend that you obtain a GP referral for treatment at Nightingale Hospital.
There are a few reasons for this, including:
- It provides the hospital with your relevant medical history and possible risk factors
- Some consultant psychiatrists require a GP referral before accepting you as a patient
- A GP referral letter is a necessity from most policies if you intend to fund your treatment with private medical insurance
When we receive your enquiry, call or referral from your health care professional we then work with you to assess the next best steps for you. This may be to organise an appointment with a consultant psychiatrist or directly with one of our therapists.
Next steps in accessing mental health treatment
We can help assess the next best steps for you when we receive your enquiry, referral or call from your health care professional. This may be to organise an appointment with a consultant psychiatrist or directly into our therapy services for an assessment.
Seeing a consultant psychiatrist
If there is an indication that you might need a thorough psychiatric evaluation (looking at psychiatric history, possible need for medication, any indication of serious illness), then an assessment with a consultant psychiatrist is the advised route. An assessment will include a thorough psychiatric evaluation, as well as a consideration of a patient’s personal circumstances, and support network. Following this, your consultant psychiatrist will explore an ongoing treatment plan with you. As an example, inpatient care may be incompatible for you if you have family and work commitments. In circumstances such as these, you can potentially be supported by a consultant psychiatrist and/or a therapist in an outpatient setting. There are times, however, when inpatient treatment is a psychiatric necessity.
We have over 40 consultant psychiatrists, both male and female, some of these the most renowned names in psychiatry. Many are able to consult in a range of languages. For self-paying patients, the cost of the initial appointment with a consultant psychiatrist depends on which consultant is seen and usually lasts an hour.
Your initial appointment with one of our consultant psychiatrists or therapists will be to discuss and determine the best treatment plan to suit your needs. This may include frequent outpatient appointments, or if you require a more focused approach – we may recommend a day therapy or an inpatient stay.
Seeing a therapist
If you are struggling with something like a low mood, bereavement, loneliness or a mild form of anxiety, this can be sometimes well-managed by routine outpatient visits with a therapist. In some circumstances, an individual may be referred directly by their GP for a specific therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), bereavement counselling or couples counselling. We have over 80 therapists working at the hospital. Our therapy services department can match your circumstances and requirements with the most appropriate mental health therapist on our team. We work with every individual to understand their particular needs, likes and dislikes.
If you are unsure, our therapy department can discuss your options with you. Outpatient therapy sessions usually last one hour and range in cost dependent on specialisms.
Length of treatment
The length of treatment for everyone depends on their individual circumstances such as personal situation, nature and severity of your problem and any financial restraints.
Outpatient treatment at Nightingale Hospital
Nightingale Hospital offers outpatient appointments from Monday to Friday, and selected hours on a Saturday, from convenient and discreet London locations.
- Read more about our outpatient treatment
Day therapy treatment at Nightingale Hospital
Day therapy at Nightingale Hospital consists of short-term intensive treatment for a range of general psychiatric conditions, including addictions and eating disorders.
The programme is delivered in two ways: face-to-face or online. Following an initial free assessment with the day therapy coordinator, a bespoke group therapy timetable will be devised for you. This will depend on your individual needs, coupled with recommendations from your treating consultant psychiatrist.
The programme is delivered on weekdays from Monday to Friday and there is flexibility regarding how often you attend. Please note that COVID-19 precautions will apply to patients attending the face-to-face programme.
Our day therapy programme can be purchased as a full-day or half-day package, or on an individual group basis. A full day consists of three groups and a half-day consists of two. Discounted day therapy is available for all Nightingale Hospital patients leaving inpatient care and transitioning to day therapy.
- Read more about our day therapy treatment
Inpatient treatment at Nightingale Hospital
Adult inpatient treatment
Nightingale Hospital offers inpatient services for those dealing with acute conditions and needing intensive treatment coupled with 24-hour support and risk monitoring. This can be essential when a patient poses a serious risk of harm to themselves and/or others. It can also be highly appropriate for patients who find they need further support than outpatient or day therapy can provide. It can be a huge source of emotional support as patients are made to feel safe, nurtured and supported around the clock.
Our adult inpatient units are situated in the main hospital, located a few minutes’ walk from Marylebone, Edgware Road and Baker Street stations. To cater to psychiatric emergencies, we take admissions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Nightingale Hospital London has specialist mental health units for adults across general psychiatry, addictions or eating disorders. A full multidisciplinary team work together to support patients on their recovery journey. Psychiatrists, ward doctors and nurses and an extensive therapy team, which includes psychologists, trauma therapists, counselling psychologists and psychotherapists all have a crucial role in delivering care.
Please note, that we are only able to offer inpatient treatment for patients aged 18 years and above.
- Read more about our inpatient treatment
