In mental health it is difficult to predict with certainty how long a treatment will take for a patient to reach remission. In some cases, a patient may reach remission sooner than the average stated period, whilst others may take longer to achieve remission. Before commencing this treatment programme we would encourage you to consider the long-term cost of treatment. Here, we break down how much it will cost.
Once you have begun the treatment programme it is likely that you will be required to continue with Levothyroxine for the foreseeable future, should it prove effective for you. This will require you to attend The London Psychiatry Centre for review a minimum of every three months once remission is reached.
Our paper, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, shows that 50% of patients will reach remission in 10.6 weeks with about 8 weeks of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and continued high-dose Levothyroxine in the maintenance phase of rTMS. We recommend rTMS for 8 weeks or 40 sessions in those with severe or resistant symptoms, although in some cases more may be needed.
Your consultant will be able to discuss with you in more detail some examples of treatment lengths they have previously experienced. We also have patients that have reached remission using this plan that can provide you with details of their experiences.
Referrals To Other Specialists
All mood disorder patients must be seen by a cardiologist as 4 in 10 of those with bipolar disorder suffer early death by 10 years from heart disease. We are the only clinic in the UK to take this preventive step routinely with all our patients.
During the treatment programme it may also be recommended that you are monitored and reviewed by an endocrinologist.
We can make a referral to these specialists on your behalf, however you are free to see whom you choose. The London Psychiatry Centre does not have any financial affiliation with these professionals. We do, however, refer to them regularly and they are familiar with the treatment plan. We are unable to provide any guide as to the costs of consultations or any tests they may recommend as it would depend on who you choose to see and their professional opinion.
Funding Your Treatment
You may opt to ask your GP to initiate an Individual Funding Request (IFR) to cover your treatment costs but this tends to be a lengthy process and is not always guaranteed to cover treatment costs.
Should at any stage you become unable to financially sustain the cost of the treatment plan, please inform us and/or your consultant, at which time we will make a referral, with your consent, to your NHS GP, who will be able to organise an NHS psychiatrist for you.
NHS GPs are unlikely to prescribe Levothyroxine for your condition, and therefore you should consider if you will be able to continue receiving care from The London Psychiatry Centre in the long term.
You are free to withdraw from the treatment at any time, you are not committed in any way to continue, and no reason needs to be provided. However, we would recommend you discuss this decision with your consultant so that your care can be safely transferred to another professional.
Insured Patients
Please be advised that The London Psychiatry Centre operates a pay and claim back policy for insurers/third parties. This means that we will not make any claims directly to an insurer or third party on your behalf. A receipt is provided and you may be able to use this to claim back from your insurer, subject to your policy and their terms and conditions. We would always advise that you contact any insurer/third party prior to booking treatment to check their policy.
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will endeavour to provide as much information and clarification as we can, to empower you to choose the correct and most sustainable treatment plan for you.
How Much Does Our Treatment Programme Cost?
Our patented treatment programme is, simply put, better than other traditional treatments. It is also the only effective evidence-based treatment available for subthreshold bipolar disorder, which makes up around 55-60% of all bipolar disorders, and indeed many of those diagnosed with major depression actually have subthreshold bipolar disorder.
It is difficult to provide an accurate cost as it varies between patients. The below costs are only an approximation, as the programme proceeds depending on your response.
The total cost below is to be used as a guide ONLY and does not represent the final costs of all patients.
For patients receiving the levothyroxine with rTMS and/or Quetiapine programme:
| Service | Per session | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
Initial expert opinion with Dr Zamar (up to 1.5hrs) which includes:
|
£5,000 | £5,000 |
| Referred consultant initial (up to 1hr) | £750 | £750 |
| Weekly review appointments: | ||
| With your consultant | £375 x 12 | £4,500 |
| or | or | or |
| With Dr Zamar | £1,500 x 12 | £18,000 |
| Tests including ECG and blood tests | £260 x 8 | £2,080 |
| rTMS | £400 x 50 | £20,000 |
| rTMS Measurements | £375 x 10 | £3,750 |
| Further Expert Review by Dr Zamar | £2,500 | £2,500 |
| Total cost with consultant | £38,580 | |
| Total cost with Dr Zamar (If Dr Zamar is expected to treat rather than his team) | £51,330 |
Health is priceless, and recovery is possible. If you would like more information about our bipolar disorder treatment programme or would like to speak to a member of our team about booking a consultation, please call us on 020 7580 4224 and we’ll be happy to help.
