Frequently Asked Questions (Private Adult Autism Service)

Psychiatry literally means the ‘medical treatment of the mind’, so it is the medical speciality devoted to the treatment of disorders of the mind. Psychiatrists are therefore doctors who specialise in the medical treatment of such conditions.

The stages we follow for online consultations are very similar to the process you would follow if you were referred by your GP or decided to pay for private psychiatric treatment through a clinic.

To read about the process we follow in more detail please visit our What to Expect from a Private Autism Assessment page

Psychiatry UK has over 300 specialist consultant psychiatrists, as well as specialist doctors and GPs, all experts in their fields and with their own areas of special interest. Unlike many other areas of medicine, psychiatrists do not need to physically examine a patient as talking, listening and vision, rather than touch, are required.

As a result, being able to speak to a psychiatrist through video conferencing is ideal – you not only get to see a psychiatrist faster, but you also get to see the most appropriate specialist for you, although they may be many hundreds of miles away.

As doctors, they all take their responsibilities with regard to confidentiality particularly seriously. You can talk to our doctors about anything and remain absolutely secure in the knowledge that, as long as you’re not intending to harm yourself or others it will remain confidential.

No. Providing you have access to the internet, and a computer or tablet with a webcam (either internal or external) and a microphone, you will be able to attend a consultation.

Most up-to-date computers and laptops will already have a camera and microphone installed. The only other special instruction will be for you to test these to make sure they are working.

How can I make sure my device is ready for my appointment?

Click on the Test Your Device tab in the dark blue band at the top of the Psychiatry UK website. You may be prompted to click ‘allow’ to grant permission to access the camera and microphone. This is required for your meeting to go ahead.

We do advise that you install the Microsoft Teams app to ensure the best experience in joining and attending your meeting. You do not need to create a Microsoft account.

If you do not wish to install the Teams app, please use the most recent version of the Microsoft Edge browser, then click on your appointment link.

We sincerely hope that you never have cause to make a complaint about our service. However, if you do, please tell us about any complaint you might have as soon as possible, so that we are able to resolve it quickly.

Please give us a chance to resolve any issues you may have before posting your comments on Social Media or Google. 

Our complaints and disputes policy can be found here

If you would like to leave an external review you can submit this via an independent website such as I Want Great Care or Trustpilot.

You will usually be able to find an appointment within two weeks of completion of your pre-assessment patient checklist.

You will need to complete your pre-assessment checklist before you can book your assessment.

Please ensure that you have:

• Uploaded your photo ID and proof of address to the portal
• Submitted your three completed pre-assessment forms

As soon as your checklist has been completed, we’ll send you a booking link via email and SMS. Clicking on this link will allow you to search for a convenient appointment date and time. Each appointment slot shows the name of the consultant and you can click to view their profile.

Payment in full is required at the time of booking, so please have your payment card ready when you book.

Appointments are available 7 days a week, between the hours of 6am and 11pm.

One-to-one support is available to help you complete your pre-assessment forms if needed.

Please click on the ‘Request Support’ button in the ‘Forms’ section of your portal, or from within your ‘ASD Self-Report Questionnaire’. A member of our patient support team will get in touch to arrange an appointment.

An Informant Report must be completed by someone who has known you since childhood (before the age of 12). If this is not possible, please ask the person who knows you the best and for the longest period of time, for example, a close friend, family member or support worker.

Why this matters: This information is crucial for an accurate assessment outcome. Without significant childhood information, it may be more difficult to provide you with an outcome/diagnosis from your assessment appointment. If you do not have a suitable informant, please let us know.

• If you need urgent advice or support, please follow the guidance on our website.   
• IT support guides are available under the ‘Information Hub’ tab on our website for help with resetting your password or 2FA (two-factor authentication). 
• For general enquiries, please create a note on your portal for our medical secretary team (available Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm). 

Statutory 14-day ‘Cooling Off Period’

You are automatically entitled to a 14-day ‘cooling off period’ when you buy goods or services online. This means that you have a statutory right to cancel your appointment within 14 days from the day on which you entered the contract, without giving any reason.

If you wish to book an appointment that is less than 14 days from the date of booking, you do have the choice to waive these rights. By booking the appointment, you acknowledge that you have waived your statutory right to cancel during the cooling off period. 

Don’t worry – you also have a legal right to cancel a booking that you have made with us within 7 working days of the date the booking was made. However, if your use of the service commences within that 7-day period your right to cancellation is lost.

In the event of such a cancellation, you will receive a full refund for the cost of the services. We will process the refund as soon as possible and, at the latest, within 30 calendar days of the day on which you gave us notice of cancellation.

Rescheduling or cancelling an appointment

If you wish to reschedule or cancel your appointment, please contact our medical secretaries by raising a note on your patient portal.

If you cancel with 7 or more days’ notice, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel between 2-7 days before, a 50% fee will apply. If you cancel within 48 hours, the full fee is payable.

However, if you fail to attend a booked consultation without giving us notice of cancellation of the booking, we are within our rights to charge you the full cost of the consultation. Any decision to vary this, to take account of particular circumstances beyond your control, is at the discretion of Psychiatry UK.

Please see our Booking, Cancellations and Non-Attendance Policy for further information.

If you need to reschedule your appointment, please create a note for our medical secretaries, who will help you find a new date and time.

If you fail to attend a booked appointment without giving us notice of cancellation of the booking, we are within our rights to charge you the full cost of the consultation. Any decision to vary this, to take account of particular circumstances beyond your control, is at the discretion of Psychiatry UK. Please read our Bookings, Cancellation and Non-Attendance (DNA) Policy for more information.

Unfortunately, our service is currently only available to people residing in England, Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland.

Our fee for a private adult autism assessment is £2,195, payable at the time of booking your appointment. There are no hidden or additional costs.

Our fee covers a one-hour assessment. This will include a formal diagnosis from your psychiatrist, where indicated, with a full written assessment report and individualised treatment plan. You will receive an electronic copy of your assessment letter via the patient portal, which you will be able to download.

Initial assessments require payment at the time of booking, so we currently do not offer any type of payment plan.