Useful Information

New Forest Psychiatry is based at the Retreat New Forest:

Address: The Retreat New Forest, Lyndhurst Road, Hinton, Christchurch, BH23 7EF
T: 01425 205524
E: hello@theretreatnewforest.co.uk
Website: https://www.theretreatnewforest.co.uk

Before your appointment, the service requires a GP summary or GP referral, as part of our CQC regulation.

You will be contacted via email to complete the online registration and consent forms (Cliniko).

Payment is usually now taken before the appointment, and is completed via invoice.

Upon arrival for your appointment, You simply walk through the main front entrance and there is a waiting area at the bottom of the stairs. Please first approach the reception, where they will ring the buzzer to notify us of your arrival. Please see photographs.

ADHD:

Information regarding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be found here via the national ADHDUK website: https://adhduk.co.uk/. For information about referral, please see the following guidelines relating to private diagnosis: https://adhduk.co.uk/private-diagnosis/

Please note that an ‘agreement in principle’ is required from your NHS GP if you have received a medical diagnosis of ADHD and are seeking eventual prescriptions via the NHS following your medical titration, which confirms in writing that your NHS GP will formally collaborate with New Forest Psychiatry as a CQC registered and regulated provider of general adult psychiatry, including the assessment and treatment of ADHD, following your diagnosis and medical titration.

The formal assessment process involves a clinical assessment and information gathering process that focuses on your current presentation, but also how you have presented since your earlier childhood. Information is also required regarding your developmental history. Although this is not always possible, the service discusses how this process can be achieved based on your personal preferences. Usually, this involves the invitation of a patient’s parents or other family members with knowledge of a patient’s development and childhood. The service can also provide a developmental questionnaire, along with relevant rating scales as part of the comprehensive assessment for ADHD (CAARS-2). The process follows the DIVA-5 framework of assessment, and abides by the Adult ADHD Assessment Quality Assurance Standard (AQAS): https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1380410/full

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Assessment for autistic expression disorder involves The assessment of your current presentation and symptoms, and also a comprehensive consideration of your past presentation extending back to your early development and childhood. A comprehensive developmental history is taken, and this can involve a detailed developmental history questionnaire that is ideally completed by a patient’s parents or caregiver when they were this age. The format of the formal assessment process can involve the ADOS, the ADI-R, or the framework provided by the Royal College of Psychiatrists: the Royal College of Psychiatrists Interview Guide for the Diagnostic Assessment of Able Adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), (Revised Edition).

Please note that the consultation room is based on the second floor and access is via stairs only. If you have any mobility issues, please do let us know and we can arrange an alternative consultation room on site.

The service has collaborated with Pharmacierge: https://www.pharmacierge.com/. This service is utilised for private prescriptions if requested by the patient, and for the medical titration process for an ADHD diagnosis. Patients are formally registered with this service to enable this, but is also based on patient preference should they prefer to remain with their local high-street pharmacy.

Frequently asked questions:

  • Is there anything I should bring with me to the appointment?

Yes, for the formal assessments, if you have access to your old school reports, these would be ideal, but not compulsory.

  • Is there anywhere I need to go in particular when I arrive at the Retreat New Forest?

Yes, please inform reception that you have arrived. They will press the buzzer to notify us of your arrival. Afterwards, please take a seat in the waiting area at the bottom of the stairs. If a healthcare professional is running late, they will notify you directly before hand.

  • Is there anything I need to prepare in advance or should know about the appointment beforehand?

No. The assessment is designed to put the patient and those also present completely at ease. If you have a further questions, please do let us know.

  • Is there somewhere my partner could wait if she comes too, and would it be possible for her to come in the appointment too if needed?

Yes. The consultation room is based at The Retreat and there is a restaurant and cafe area, The Colin Nash restaurant. Alternatively, they may choose to wait in the waiting area at the bottom of the stairs.