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    Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

    Here you'll find our answers to your most commonly asked questions.

    If you are in crisis and have hurt yourself or are thinking about hurting yourself:

    • call 999
    • go to A&E if you can
    • call your mental health crisis team

    Find out more about where to get urgent help for mental health on the NHS website.

    If you aren’t sure what kind of help you need, you can call 111 or use NHS 111 online (England, Scotland and Wales). In Northern Ireland, you can call the crisis response line, Lifeline, at 0808 808 8000.

    If the support you need is less urgent, you can also speak to your GP or mental health team.

    You can also contact the following organisations if you need to speak to someone:

    • Samaritans – Samaritans offers listening and support to people in times of need. They are open 24/7.
    • Childline – Childline is a free, confidential support service for people under the age of 19. Support is available 24/7.
    • SANEline - SANEline is a national mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness.
      • call 0300 304 7000 (this phone line is open from 4-10pm every day of the year)
      • Outside of these hours, you can leave a voice message on 0300 124 7900 to get a call-back.

    Most private psychiatrists would still prefer a referral from your GP. 

    Your GP may be able to recommend psychiatrists who practise privately. Local private hospitals may also be able to advise you about this. 

    Some psychiatrists may advertise online. If they have the title 'MRCPsych' (Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists) or ‘FRCPsych’ (Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists), this means they’re current members of the College.

     

    The College can't recommend psychiatrists or provide a list of names. To find a psychiatrist, ask your GP or local hospital.

    You can get lists of local GPs or hospitals from your pharmacist or on the NHS website.

    The College can't recommend psychiatrists or provide a list of names.

    Solicitors can search through the lists of psychiatrists that are registered with any of the following websites:

    We’re not the disciplinary body for our members and can’t deal with complaints about psychiatrists.
    You or someone you trust can write to or speak with your psychiatrist to tell them how you feel.

    If you’re unhappy with their response, you can complain to their employer, clinic or hospital using their complaints procedure.

    If the complaint is to report serious misconduct, you can complain to the General Medical Council: 0161 923 6602.

    The last step in dealing with unresolved complaints is to contact the Health Service Ombudsman (Tel: 0345 015 4033), who serves as a final arbiter.

    Please see our making a complaint page.

    If you have concerns about a hospital, care home or health service, you should contact them first and follow their complaints procedure.

    If you’re still unhappy, share your experience with the body which is responsible for the inspection of health and social care in your area:

    A psychiatrist will have spent 5-6 years training as a medical doctor.

    They will then have worked as a doctor in general medicine and surgery for at least a year. Then will have at least six years of further training in helping people with psychological problems.

    A psychologist has a degree in psychology, and Chartered Clinical Psychologists are not required to go to medical school.

    They’re interested in how people think, act, react and interact. For further information about psychology, visit the British Psychological Society website.

    A psychotherapist will be a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health professional who has had further specialist training in psychotherapy.

    As well as listening and discussing important issues with you, the psychotherapist can suggest strategies for resolving problems and help you to change your attitudes and behaviour.

    The mental health team is a group of mental health professionals who work together to help people with a wide range of mental health problems.

    The different professions all have different knowledge and skills which can be used to tackle problems together.

    To see a psychiatrist, you will usually need a referral from your general practitioner (GP), in the same way you would with any other specialist.

    Within the NHS, most referrals will go to the mental health team. Initially, you may be seen by a team member who is not a psychiatrist. If the team member feels that you ought to see a psychiatrist, they'll arrange an appointment for you.

    Most private psychiatrists would still prefer a referral from your GP.

    Your GP may be able to recommend psychiatrists who practise privately. Local private hospitals may also be able to advise you about this.

    Some psychiatrists may advertise online. If they have the title 'MRCPsych' (Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists) or ‘FRCPsych’ (Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists), this means they’re current members of the College.

    Outside the UK, you’ll be able to find which psychiatric organisation is relevant to your country by looking at the World Psychiatric Association website.

    The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the professional medical body responsible for supporting psychiatrists throughout their careers from training through to retirement, and in setting and raising standards of psychiatry in the United Kingdom.

    We work to secure the best outcomes for people with mental illness, learning disabilities and developmental disorders by promoting excellent mental health services, training outstanding psychiatrists, promoting quality and research, setting standards and being the voice of psychiatry.

    Find out more about what we do.

    Not all psychiatrists are members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

    You can search our Public Online Membership List to see whether or not a psychiatrist is a member.

    Unfortunately, not. We are the professional body for psychiatrists in the UK, but there are no psychiatrists based at the College.

    The College can't recommend psychiatrists or provide a list of names. To find a psychiatrist, ask your GP or local hospital.

    You can get lists of local GPs or hospitals from your pharmacist or on the NHS website (England), NHS Inform (Scotland), NIDirect (Northern Ireland), or NHS 111 Wales.

    The General Medical Council's website will let you search registers of all practicing doctors. The search results will show you their speciality and other information.

    You’ll be able to find which psychiatric organisation is relevant to your country by looking at the World Psychiatric Association website.

    The World Psychiatric Association is a group of International Psychiatric Societies. We’re only able to advise on psychiatric practice in the United Kingdom. 

    Everyone is entitled to a second opinion.  

    You can ask your GP or your psychiatrist to refer you to another psychiatrist for a second opinion.

    See the Your choices in the NHS page on the NHS website for further information.

    You can complain to the clinic where the psychiatrist works. In cases of professional misconduct, you can also contact the General Medical Council (Tel: 0161 923 6602).

    You should encourage them to go and see their GP. Further information about mental health problems and their treatment are available on our website.

    If you’re worried about someone who is very unwell and appear to be a risk to themselves or others, please call the police or NHS 111. 

    The police can take someone who appears to be very ill to a mental health professional for assessment and help.

    We produce leaflets and online information about different mental health problems and treatments.

    These include details of helplines and websites run by mental health charities and groups. You can download them from our mental health section.

    The NHS website also provides a list of mental health services.

     

    If you’re having a serious allergic reaction, please seek immediate help. 

    Otherwise you should speak to whoever prescribed you the medication. They will tell you what to do. You can also report side effects to the Yellow Card Scheme to help make medicines safer.

    There are many different ways to find out this information. 

    You can ask your:

    • GP 
    • pharmacist 
    • psychiatrist 
    • mental health team. 

    You could look up information on medications in the British National Formulary (BNF). This is a directory of drugs which are listed alphabetically.

    Some drug companies run helplines. Contact details are available on the drug information leaflet or pack label.

    The Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC) website stores a copy of all approved drug information leaflets. 

    The College also has information on some drugs and therapies that are used to treat specific mental health problems, such as Alzheimer's disease.

     

    The Mental Health Act 1983 is a law in England and Wales* that allows for people who are mentally unwell to be admitted to hospital for assessment and treatment against their wishes.

    Many people will be admitted to the hospital as informal patients; this means they have voluntarily agreed to be admitted.

    However, compulsory admission (or ‘sectioning’) may be necessary if someone posing a risk to their own health or to other people refuses to go. 

    * For further information, refer to our information on being detained in a section in England and Wales. This information also includes links to organisations which provide information on being detained in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

    Please call the police, or the ambulance service (999). 

    The police can take someone who appears very ill to see a doctor for assessment and help.