How to change psychiatrists: a practical transfer checklist

Do you need a review, a second opinion or a new psychiatrist?

These are different requests. Naming the one you need makes it easier for a service to respond. You may be looking for an explanation of your diagnosis, more time to discuss side effects, a different communication style or a new clinician closer to home.

You can raise a concern even if a treatment has helped in some ways. For example: “My mood is more stable, but I struggle to stay awake at work. I need us to discuss that.” The NIMH guide to conversations about mental health encourages people to ask about options and consider another opinion when needed.

If your main concern is persistent depression despite treatment, our guide to a depression treatment review helps you prepare that discussion. This page focuses on the practical work of moving your care.

Make a transfer plan before ending your current follow-up

You do not have to solve everything in one call. Work through these steps with the clinics, your GP or another professional involved in your care. If your current situation feels unsafe, ask another service or an advocate for help organising the change.

1. Say what needs to be different

   Write down two or three priorities. These might be experience with bipolarity, an interpreter, appointments you can attend, clearer explanations or a predictable way to contact the clinic. Include what has worked well so the next clinician can build on it.

2. Confirm that the new service can take over

   Ask whether the psychiatrist accepts patients transferring from another clinician, and whether the appointment is an assessment, a second opinion or ongoing care. Check the actual date, referral requirements, fees and how follow-up appointments are arranged. Booking an assessment does not guarantee that the service will take over treatment.

3. Agree who covers the time between appointments

   Ask your current clinician who will respond to concerns, review medication and arrange any required monitoring while you wait. Write down the contact and the next review date. If the current clinic cannot provide this, ask your GP or local service to assess what support is appropriate.

4. Check that the handover has happened

   Before closing the loop with the old clinic, confirm that the new service has the records it requested and that you understand the next step. After the assessment, clarify who is now responsible for regular care. Cancel appointments you no longer need once that arrangement is clear.

If you cannot stay safe or are in immediate danger, contact emergency services in your country. A transfer request or routine appointment is not a route to emergency care.

What records should you bring to a new psychiatrist?

Ask the receiving clinic what it needs and how to send it securely. You should not have to reconstruct every detail from memory. A useful starting pack may include:

• A current medication list: names, prescribed doses, how you take them, supplements and any allergies or reactions you know about.
• A treatment summary: previous assessments, diagnoses discussed, treatments tried, what helped and what was difficult.
• Relevant clinical documents: referral letters, discharge summaries and recent monitoring results the clinic requests.
• Your own short account: changes in mood, sleep, energy and everyday functioning, plus the question you most want answered.
• Current care contacts: the GP, psychiatrist, therapist or other professionals involved, and any existing care or crisis plan.

It is fine to write “I cannot remember the date” or “please check the previous clinic’s records.” Accurate uncertainty is more useful than guessing. If you live with bipolarity, describe changes over time as well as how you feel on the day of the appointment.

How to request a records transfer

Ask your current clinic for its records-release process. Check the receiving clinician’s details, which documents are requested, any authorisation you need to complete, fees and expected timing. Then ask the receiving clinic to confirm arrival. Do not assume that sharing a booking confirmation also transfers your clinical history.

Rules differ by location and type of record. In the US, HHS explains that access rights generally cover medical records, with exceptions including separately maintained psychotherapy notes. Ask the clinic’s records team what can be provided for your situation.

Your appointment notes are for your care team. You do not need to send your medical records to HopeStage to use this guide or its checklist.

How to tell your psychiatrist you want to switch

A short, factual message can be enough. You can explain your reasons if you want to, but you do not need to turn the request into a long account of everything that has gone wrong. These are conversation starters, not formal legal notices.

If speaking directly feels too difficult, ask whether you can write instead, bring someone you trust or use a patient advocate. If your concern involves unsafe conduct or discrimination, a clinic manager, patient-relations service or local health complaints body can explain the relevant process. You can seek help with the handover while separately deciding whether to make a complaint.

Referrals and costs: what to check where you live

The practical questions are similar across countries, but the answers are local. Check arrangements before paying for an appointment or assuming that an existing referral covers the move.

United States

Ask your insurer whether the new clinician and appointment type are covered, whether a referral or prior authorisation is needed, and what you would pay. Confirm those details with the clinic too. If coverage has changed or you are uninsured, ask a primary care or community health service about options. NIMH lists starting points for finding care.

United Kingdom

In England, ask your mental health professional, GP, care coordinator or service manager about changing clinicians. If you are seeking a second opinion, make that request explicit. The NHS explains these routes; a second opinion is not an automatic legal entitlement. If a request is refused, the local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can advise. Check the relevant local NHS process in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Australia

Ask your GP and the new clinic whether your referral is suitable or needs updating. Confirm appointment fees and any Medicare rebate for your circumstances. Healthdirect explains referrals, costs and asking for a second opinion. Do not assume that changing psychiatrist is free or that a previous clinic’s fee will apply.

Canada

Ask your family doctor, current clinic or local health authority about transferring specialist care in your province or territory. If you are moving between provinces, check referrals and coverage before the move. The Government of Canada links to provincial and territorial mental health resources; use the relevant local service to confirm the process.

If you live elsewhere, your current service or local public health authority can explain how specialist transfers work. For a cost barrier, see our free and low-cost mental health care guide. For a search with no available appointments, see what to do when you cannot find a psychiatrist.

Use the first appointment to agree how care will work

You are bringing experience of what living with your symptoms and treatment is like. That includes benefits, side effects, practical constraints and what matters to you. The new psychiatrist also needs time to assess your situation; a transfer does not guarantee the same diagnosis or prescription.

Prepare three headings for your notes: what is helping, what is difficult, and what I need next. For example: “I want to keep the stability I have gained, and I need help with side effects that make it hard to work.”

• Have you received the information you need, or is something missing?
• What is your understanding of my current needs?
• Which decisions can we make today, and which need more assessment?
• Who will prescribe and arrange monitoring from now on?
• When is my next appointment, and how do I raise a concern before then?

Ask for a written summary if that would help. You can ask whether a trusted person may attend or take notes, as suggested in NIMH’s appointment preparation guidance. Before you leave, repeat the agreed next step in your own words so you can check that you have understood.