Psychiatry-UK

Ratings - Specialist community mental health services for children and young people

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at the registered location for Psychiatry UK on 23 January 2025 and completed remote inspection activity on 23-24 and 27-28 January 2025. We announced the inspection so that we had access to the evidence we needed to make a judgement and so that we could speak with staff while on site.

The service provides online remote assessment and titration services for children and young people (CYP) living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other mental health conditions through NHS child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) contracts. The CYP service provides care to young people between the ages of 6 and 18 years. While there is no formal transitional care pathway in place where young people still require care when they become 18 years old, the service liaises with NHS commissioners to arrange continuity of care.

Psychiatry UK also provides consultant-led mental health care and treatment for adults living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and mood disorders. A team of prescribing nurses to titrate people’s medicines. ADHD care is provided to NHS patients through commissioned contracts, some of which operate on a ‘right to choose’ basis and the service provides a range of mental health services to private patients. Right to choose is a national initiative that enables patients to opt for a specific service or provider once they are referred to a speciality by a GP or other NHS professional.

At the time of our inspection, Psychiatry UK had over 90,000 patients aligned to their service either at the point of referral, on waiting lists for assessment, or receiving treatment following a diagnosis.

People's experience of this service

Young people were receiving good quality, safe, effective and responsive care. Young people felt staff were kind, helpful, and provided person-centred care. Young people and carers commented that the service provided good information during their assessments and also on the service website.

Young people found the patient portal easy to navigate, especially via a phone or tablet, and found that staff were responsive when they made contact. One carer commented that Psychiatry UK was known fondly as ‘the Family Psychiatrists'.

Carers told us they had copies of the young person’s care plans where required. They told us the assessment reports were detailed and easy to understand. For young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN), they found the assessment reports helpful to support their Education, Health and Care (EHC) planning. One young person described the support provided from Psychiatry UK as a ‘Godsend’ while they were sitting their GCSE exams. 

The service invited and recorded friends and family feedback. In January 2025, 93% of respondents reported receiving a good (19%) or very good (74%) service from Psychiatry UK.