CQC ClinicsIndependent directory of CQC-registered clinics

Mental health clinics in England

Psychiatry, psychology and talking-therapy services, plus community mental health services registered with CQC. Inpatient mental health hospitals are listed separately.

On this page: Clinics by region · Choosing private mental health care · Psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist: what's the difference? · Private care and the NHS · How clinics are included

212 clinics listed. 60 have a published CQC rating; 17 offer remote consultations. How we decide which clinics appear here.

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London

South East

East of England

South West

West Midlands

East Midlands

North West

North East

Yorkshire and The Humber

Choosing private mental health care

Private mental health services range from single appointments with a psychiatrist to ongoing therapy, specialist clinics and hospital-based care. This list covers CQC-registered services, which are usually led by doctors or provide treatment that must be registered, such as psychiatry clinics, community mental health services and some therapy services.

If you need help urgently: call 999 or go to A&E if your life is at risk. For urgent mental health help in England, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. You can also call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time.

Psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist: what's the difference?

  • Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialise in mental health. They can diagnose conditions, prescribe medication and recommend other treatment. Check they're on the GMC register, which shows whether they're on the specialist register for psychiatry.
  • Practitioner psychologists, such as clinical and counselling psychologists, assess and provide psychological therapy. These titles are protected by law, and practitioners must be registered with the HCPC.
  • Counsellors and psychotherapists provide talking therapies. These titles aren't protected by law, so look for membership of a register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, such as the BACP or UKCP.

Private care and the NHS

In England you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for common problems such as anxiety and depression, without seeing your GP first. For other mental health needs, your GP can refer you to NHS services. Some of the clinics listed here provide NHS-funded care as well as private care.

If you see a private psychiatrist, ask them to send a summary to your NHS GP, especially if they recommend medication. Your GP doesn't have to take over prescribing medicines started privately.

Questions to ask a clinic

  • Who will I see, and what are their qualifications and registration?
  • What happens at the first appointment, and what might follow?
  • What will it cost in total, including follow-ups, reports and prescriptions?
  • What support is available between appointments, and what should I do in a crisis?
  • Will you share information with my GP?

Community services and hospitals

This category includes community-based mental health services registered with CQC. Independent hospitals that provide inpatient mental health care are listed separately under mental health hospitals, because admission is usually arranged through the NHS or a local authority rather than booked privately.

FAQs

Do all therapists have to register with CQC?

No. Many individual therapists and counsellors don't need to register with CQC, so their absence from this list isn't a warning sign on its own. Check their professional registration instead.

Why are ADHD and autism clinics included here?

ADHD and autism assessments are usually carried out by mental health specialists, so we include those clinics here as well as in their own categories.

How clinics are included

Every clinic on CQC Clinics is an active location on the Care Quality Commission's register of independent healthcare services, as published by CQC. The CQC register doesn't record specialties such as "ADHD" or "dermatology", so we place clinics in categories using their names, website addresses and the activities and service types they are registered for. We would rather leave a clinic out of a category than guess, so some clinics that offer this care won't appear in this list. You can still find every clinic through search or by region. More about how categories work.

What CQC registration means

Registration means CQC has agreed that the provider can carry out specific regulated activities at this location. It is a legal requirement for these services in England, not a recommendation. A CQC rating, where one has been published, is CQC's judgement from its last assessment. Check the clinician's own professional registration, and the clinic's latest information on cqc.org.uk, before you book. What CQC ratings mean.