Intellectual Disability Services

A General Psychiatric Assessment is a comprehensive review of the mental health of a person with Intellectual Disability. This is usually a 50–60-minute appointment with a psychiatrist, who is both a medical doctor and a trained mental health professional and member or Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, specialising in intellectual disability psychiatry. Most patients with Intellectual Disability are initially referred for a General Psychiatric Assessment as they may be experiencing a period of distress, or their carers have concerns about their mental health.

A General Psychiatric Assessment can be uniquely insightful in understanding how psychiatric, psychological, physical, environmental and social factors interplay, as well as providing steer and clear guidance on steps that can be taken to benefit the person with Intellectual Disability. In some situations, a General Psychiatric Assessment can also lead to a formal diagnosis, which some people find clarifying, or comforting, and can help give access to specialist support and resources.

Presentations that our team commonly assist with include anxiety, depression, panic disorders, OCD, adjustment disorders, bipolar affective disorder, Alzheimer’s and dementia, schizophrenia, psychosis, specific phobias, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder and much more.

In most cases, a follow up is needed to gain the necessary information for a full formulation of a person’s difficulties or to discuss appropriate therapeutic interventions plan based on the diagnoses made. People with Intellectual Disability are often accompanied by their carers/family to support. If you have any specific needs, do let us know in advance.

Dr Caryl Marshall and Professor Bhathika Perera are Intellectual Disability specialists.

Our assessing clinicians are also General Adult Consultant Psychiatrists with deep expertise in Intellectual Disability.  They are therefore well equipped to approach diagnosis in a broad and holistic manner, considering your general mental health. This allows them supporting you with any challenges related to mental health which may exist in lieu of, or in addition to, Intellectual Disability.

General Psychiatric Assessments with an Intellectual Disability specialist are charged from £495.

Any further follow-up appointments will then be charged at normal follow-up rates, as needed.

Sometimes, to complete your assessment in full, you may require two or more appointments. Follow-up appointments are typically 30 minutes long and allow the psychiatrist to continue a full medical and mental health assessment as this is sometimes not possible in a single initial consultation. This will involve talking about the problems the person with Intellectual Disability is currently experiencing and how these, among other factors, have affected the person throughout their life within the context of their social setting, physical health and any medication. Family members or carers may be asked to provide more information as part of the assessment.

After an assessment is complete, your psychiatrist will be able to determine if a referral to a psychiatric sub-specialist may be helpful, such as a referral to an ADHD, Autism, Eating Disorder or Perinatal Mental Health specialist, for example, amongst others to provide an effective treatment plan, specific to your presenting concerns.

A psychiatric assessment is an opportunity for you to gain clarity on factors that may be contributing to your presenting difficulty and work towards a personalised plan to improve this with the support and guidance of a mental health expert.

People with Intellectual Disability are often accompanied by their carers/family to support. If you have any specific needs, do let us know in advance.

To ensure seamless continuation of care, your initial assessing psychiatrist would be the person you would see for follow-up appointments.

In rare circumstances, for example if your assessing psychiatrist is unwell or on extended Leave, you will be invited to make your follow-up appointment with a colleague who is covering their patients - this psychiatric colleague will have been briefed on your case, and often will have worked closely with your assessing psychiatrist for many years.

Follow-up appointments are either 30 or 50-60 minutes in length, depending on what you agree with your psychiatrist, and the fees are from £275 for 30 minutes, or from £495 for 50-60 minutes depending on clinician.

Our Patient Services team will have advised you of the follow-up fee of your chosen clinician before booking in for your initial assessment, or you can always contact the Clinic at any time to check fee levels.

The Mental Capacity Act (2005) is designed to protect people who may lack mental capacity to make decisions about care and treatment for themselves and to ensure that these decisions are made in their best interests. It applies to people aged 16 and over and may include, but is not limited to, those with dementia, a brain injury or those who have experienced a stroke.

Following a set of criteria outlined in the MCA Code of Practice, our psychiatrists are able to complete assessments of decision-making capacity in relation to treatment, health and welfare decisions that may be required to make Lasting Power of Attorney or Court of Protection arrangements, or to help facilitate treatment in the person’s best interests.

To read more about capacity assessments in more detail, please click here to see our specialised page.

Consultant Psychiatrist Professor Bhathika Perera conducts all our Intellectual Disability Capacity Assessment sessions.

Our Intellectual Disability Capacity Assessments are structured as an initial 50-minute appointment, with a 30-minute follow up if needed. The prices for these are £495-£550 for the initial appointment, and £275-£295 for the follow up.

Contact our team by emailing patientservices@sloanecourtclinic.com, who will be happy to help, and guide you through the process of booking your assessment.

It can be very useful to have a family member/partner or carer present for parts or the entirety of an appointment. They may provide further information about you which helps clinicians to understand your difficulties and to support you. They may also be able to support you either to ease your nerves or practically, where necessary.

We offer both online and in person appointments at the clinic. We would ask that you let us know at the time of enquiring whether you have a strong preference for either, so that we can best accommodate you. Some clinicians have a preference for seeing patients in-person where possible but will happily see you online when that isn’t possible for any reason. It can be helpful to meet in-person for your first appointment and then further appointments can be held online if you prefer. If you are unsure whether your appointment will take place online or in person, do check with Patient Services and they will be able to confirm this with you.

If you feel that seeking the assistance of a trusted family member, carer or friend would help you complete the required registration forms, you are very welcome to do so. However, it is very important that you, the patient, are involved in its completion and are aware of what is being agreed to. For this reason, we ask that you sign anything for us yourself once the person helping you has explained its contents.

If someone typically helps you manage your schedule and appointments, they are welcome to book in your appointments with us. On your registration forms, there is an option to nominate an individual to book in and receive reminders for your appointments, which you are able to select.

If you are struggling to understand any clinical letters or correspondence from your clinician, you are very welcome to discuss its contents with them in a follow up appointment or you may choose to seek the assistance of your nominated individual.