Book a video consultation

Gather these before you start the form

The short list above covers the essentials. A few more make the booking quicker and the appointment more useful.

• Photo identification. A passport or driving licence, since a remote service has no reception desk.
• The address you will be sitting at, with its postcode, if it is not your home address. It is recorded so that help can be sent to the right place if you become unwell during a call.
• Your medication history, not just today's list. What you have taken, roughly when, the highest dose you reached and why it stopped. Include anything bought over the counter, and supplements.
• Physical health details. Diagnosed conditions, allergies, and any heart problems in you or close family, which matters if stimulant medication may be considered.
• An emergency contact and your GP practice name, address and telephone number.
• Three things written down: what you want to come out of the appointment, the two or three questions you most want answered, and anything you know you will find hard to say out loud.

If you need an interpreter, or adjustments for a disability, say so at booking rather than on the day. See preparing for your first appointment for more.

What the confirmation should contain

Check the confirmation email when it arrives rather than the night before. It should give the date and time in UK time, the appointment type and length, joining instructions for the video platform, a payment receipt, the cancellation and rescheduling terms, and a telephone number to use if something goes wrong. If any of that is missing, ask before the day.

Put the appointment in your calendar with the joining link pasted in, so you are not searching an inbox five minutes beforehand. If questionnaires are attached, complete them at least two days ahead; they are read in advance.

Your space, and a plan for when the connection fails

Block out an hour rather than the appointment length. A room with a door that closes, a seat not backlit by a window, headphones and a glass of water covers most of it. Silence notifications on every device in the room, and tell whoever else is in the building that you are not to be interrupted, without having to explain why.

Then decide in advance what you will do if the video drops, so you are not improvising while distressed:

1. Rejoin using the same link. Most interruptions end there.
2. If that fails, switch device, for example from laptop to phone, and rejoin.
3. If it still fails, expect the clinic to telephone the number on your booking, so keep that phone beside you, charged and unlocked.

Have a fallback place in mind too, such as a parked car or a booked room at a library. Keeping your consultation private covers this in detail.

Whether someone can join you

Yes, with your agreement and the psychiatrist's knowledge. A partner, parent or friend can sit in for all or part of the appointment, and for a suspected developmental condition someone who knew you as a child can add real value, since they remember things you cannot. Tell the psychiatrist at the start who is present and why.

It is also fine to have someone there for the first ten minutes and then alone, or the reverse. There will usually be a point where the psychiatrist asks to speak to you by yourself, particularly around safety and home life; that is routine, not suspicion of anyone.

Straight afterwards, and if plans change

Expect the psychiatrist to summarise their thinking and the plan before the call ends. Ask them to repeat anything you did not follow, and write down the name of any medication, the dose, what it is for and what you have been asked to monitor. A written summary follows, and with your consent a letter goes to your GP, which is what allows NHS prescribing or shared care later. Read it and flag anything factually wrong. If a prescription was issued, check which pharmacy it went to and how long it will take.

To move or cancel, use the contact details in your confirmation and do it as early as you can. Fees are payable in advance and notice periods apply. If you are running late, message rather than assume: a shortened review usually still works, but a first assessment needs its full hour. Before paying, the FAQ, fees and suitability checklist answer most remaining questions.