Frequently Asked Questions

Dr Vimal Sivasanker is a Consultant Adult Psychiatrist with over 20 years of clinical experience. He trained at Cambridge and St Bartholomew's Hospital and holds the Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (FRCPsych). He is the Vice Chair of the RCPsych's ECT and Related Treatments Committee. He is rated 4.9/5 on TopDoctors and 5 stars on Google Reviews.

We have clinics in Elstree/Borehamwood (Hertfordshire, WD6) and London (St John's Wood, NW8). Online consultations are also available.

Yes. We accept most major private health insurers including Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, Aviva, Cigna and others. Please check with your insurer and obtain pre-authorisation before attending.

You can book by completing our online appointment request form, calling 020 3488 0809, emailing info@northlondonpsychiatrypractice.co.uk, or booking directly through Dr Sivasanker's TopDoctors profile at topdoctors.co.uk.

No. You can self-refer for a private consultation. A referral letter from your GP is helpful as it provides useful background information, but it is not required.

An initial psychiatric assessment typically lasts 60–90 minutes. Follow-up appointments are usually 30–45 minutes. Dr Sivasanker never rushes consultations — he takes the time needed to fully understand your situation.

It is helpful to bring any previous psychiatric or psychological reports, a list of current medications, your GP referral letter (if you have one), and your insurance authorisation number and policy documents if applicable. If you have kept notes about your symptoms, these can also be useful.

Dr Sivasanker offers a comprehensive range of psychiatric treatments including medication management, referral for psychological therapies, ketamine therapy, TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) and ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy). Treatment is always tailored to the individual patient and based on the latest clinical evidence.

Yes. As a medically qualified consultant psychiatrist, Dr Sivasanker can prescribe a full range of psychiatric medications. Prescriptions are private and can be taken to any pharmacy.

For many presentations, video consultations are highly effective and offer the same quality of psychiatric assessment as an in-person appointment. Some assessments and treatments do require in-person attendance — Dr Sivasanker will advise you on the most appropriate format for your situation.