Why comparing services matters
Choosing an online psychiatrist is not like choosing a takeaway. The service you pick may diagnose you, prescribe medicine and write to your GP. A poor choice can cost money, delay the right treatment, or leave you with a prescription nobody is monitoring.
The good news is that most of what matters can be checked before you pay. You do not need medical knowledge. You need a short list of questions and the patience to get clear answers.
This page gives you that list. Work through it for each service you are considering, then use the table near the end to compare them side by side.
Registration and regulation
There are two separate things to check: the doctor and the organisation.
The doctor. Every doctor practising in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). You can search the GMC’s online register by name or GMC reference number, free of charge. Check the registration is current and that the doctor holds a licence to practise.
The organisation. In England, the law is strict. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) says any person, partnership or organisation that provides a regulated activity in England must be registered with it, or they commit an offence. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own regulator for independent healthcare.
A trustworthy service will tell you who regulates it without being asked twice. If the answer is vague, or the website only talks about “registered doctors” without naming the organisation’s own regulator, ask directly.
Seniority of the doctor
Psychiatrists work at different levels. Some are in training, some are specialty doctors, and some are consultants.
According to the GMC, doctors on its Specialist Register are the ones eligible for consultant appointments in the NHS. To see whether a doctor has reached that level, run a GMC register search limited to the Specialist Register.
Doctors who are not consultants can give excellent care. Still, it is reasonable to ask:
- Will I see a consultant psychiatrist, or another grade of doctor?
- If not a consultant, who supervises the doctor?
- Will the same doctor see me at follow-up?
The answers should be specific. “Our expert clinicians” is not an answer.
Fees, prescribing and your GP
Fees. Look for a published price list that shows the cost of the first assessment, follow-ups and any repeat prescription requests. Check the appointment length for each fee. Ask whether prescriptions are included and whether you will pay the pharmacy separately. Find out when you pay and what happens if you cancel.
Prescribing policy. A good service explains how it decides on medicine. It should say that medication is offered only when clinically appropriate, after assessment. For some medicines, such as those for ADHD, it should mention physical health checks and ongoing monitoring. Under the GMC’s remote consultation guidance, a doctor who cannot prescribe to its standards without seeing you in person should arrange a face-to-face appointment.
GP communication. GMC guidance asks doctors prescribing remotely to seek consent to get information from your GP practice and to send details of any treatment. Ask how the service shares information with your GP and whether you get a copy. If you plan to move prescribing to the NHS later, ask about shared care. Remember that a GP can decide not to take it on.
Continuity, data and complaints
Follow-up and continuity. Mental health treatment is rarely a single appointment. Ask how follow-ups work, how much they cost, and how quickly you can be seen if a medicine is not suiting you. Ask what happens between appointments if you have a question.
Data security. You will share sensitive details, so ask how video calls are secured, where records are stored and who can see them. You have legal rights over your information. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) explains that you can ask an organisation for copies of your personal information, and organisations normally have one month to reply.
Complaints. Every service should have a written complaints process. Guidance from England’s health and care regulator advises contacting the provider first. For private healthcare, if the provider subscribes to the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS), you can escalate your case there if you are unhappy with the response. That regulator does not take complaints forward on your behalf, although the information you give it can help protect other patients.
Red flags to walk away from
Some warning signs are serious enough to rule a service out:
- A guaranteed diagnosis. No honest clinician can promise you will be diagnosed with ADHD, or anything else, before assessing you.
- Medicine promised in advance. Adverts that suggest you will leave with a prescription treat medicine as a product, not a clinical decision.
- No GP contact, ever. Declining GP letters is your choice. A service that refuses to write to GPs in any case is a different matter.
- Subscription traps. Watch for monthly fees that renew automatically, are hard to cancel, or are needed just to keep a prescription going.
- Anonymous doctors. If you cannot find out who will see you, you cannot check them.
- Pressure to decide fast. Countdown timers and “last slot” messages have no place in healthcare.
The checklist at a glance
Use this table to compare services. Note each one’s answer next to the questions.
| Question to ask | Good sign | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Is the doctor on the GMC register? | Named doctor, easy to find with a licence to practise | No name given, or not on the register |
| Who regulates the organisation? | Regulator named clearly, e.g. CQC in England | Vague wording or no regulator mentioned |
| Will I see a consultant? | Clear answer about grade and supervision | “Expert clinicians” with no detail |
| Are fees published in full? | Assessment, follow-up and repeat request prices shown | Price only revealed after sign-up |
| How are prescribing decisions made? | Only after assessment, with monitoring where needed | Medicine promised in adverts |
| Will my GP be informed? | Letter to GP with consent; copy to you | Refuses GP contact in all cases |
| How does follow-up work? | Set review appointments and a way to ask questions | Pay-monthly just to keep a prescription |
| How is my data protected? | Clear privacy information and a named contact | No answer, or data shared for marketing |
| What if I want to complain? | Written complaints process with escalation route | No process described |
How Happy Clinic measures up
Here is how Happy Clinic answers each question, based on information checked in September 2026.
Doctor registration and seniority. Consultations are with GMC-registered consultant psychiatrists. The psychiatrists are named on the Happy Clinic team page, so you can check them individually against the register.
Organisation. Consultations are provided by Happy Clinic, which is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Fees. Prices are published. An initial psychiatric assessment is £400 (60 minutes) and a follow-up is £200 (20 minutes). An ADHD initial assessment is £400 (60 minutes) and an ADHD follow-up or titration review is £200 (20 minutes). A repeat prescription request for existing patients is £150, subject to clinical review. Fees are paid in advance. Prescriptions issued in appointments are included in the fee; pharmacy dispensing charges are not. Fees checked September 2026 — see Happy Clinic’s pricing page for current fees.
Prescribing. For ADHD, medication, including stimulants, is offered only where clinically appropriate. It may need physical health checks and monitoring, with titration reviews. After stabilisation, Happy Clinic can propose a Shared Care Agreement to your NHS GP, and acceptance is at the GP’s discretion.
GP communication. Patients get a written clinical summary; with the patient’s consent, a copy goes to their GP.
Follow-up. Treatment plans can include follow-up appointments. Appointments are often available within a few days, depending on clinician availability.
Scope. Happy Clinic sees adults 18 and over only. It does not provide psychological therapy, though it may advise on therapy pathways. It does not assess or treat dementia or memory disorders, provide crisis care, or write medico-legal or benefits reports.
Data and complaints. These are good questions to put to Happy Clinic directly before booking. You can call +44 (0)330 133 0855 or email support@happyclinic.co.uk, 11am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, or use the contact page.
Once you have chosen a service, the next step is getting ready for the first appointment. If you are still weighing up whether a psychiatrist is the right professional at all, start with what a telepsychiatrist is and does.