How to choose a psychiatrist 2026: what psychiatry deals with, checking specialist registration, public and private fees and waiting, insurance
To choose a psychiatrist, check on the Medical Council's Specialist Register that the doctor is listed under Psychiatry (code S24), then pick public or private by referral rules, waits and fees. Psychiatry deals with disorders of mood, mental state and behaviour (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025). Book a Doctor's Psychiatry list shows 168 specialists (as of 25 October 2026) in English-name order, not of preference (this page is compiled by this site).
What does psychiatry deal with?
Psychiatry deals with disorders of mood, mental state and behaviour, and comes under The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025). The specialty name on the Medical Council's register is Psychiatry (S24); see Psychiatry: English name and code.
Which doctor follows up an emotional or mental health problem, and whether a referral is needed, is decided by the treating doctor according to the condition.
How do I check whether a doctor is a specialist in psychiatry?
On the Medical Council of Hong Kong website, selecting ‘Psychiatry’ (S24) in the Specialist Register opens the list of doctors registered in that specialty; a search by name shows the specialty and specialist registration number in the specialist registration field of the doctor's record. For the steps, see how to check a doctor's registration and specialty.
Doctors can present themselves as specialists only if they are on the Specialist Register, and can use only the title of the specialty in which they are registered (Medical Council, Code of Professional Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners, section 7, October 2022).
For what the qualification abbreviations on a doctor's business card mean, see what FHKAM means.
How do I get a referral to public psychiatry? Can I book a private psychiatrist directly?
The eight specialties for which the Hospital Authority regularly publishes new-case waiting times include Psychiatry. To book a new-case appointment at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic, you need a referral letter issued within the past three months by a locally registered doctor; one from a private doctor is also accepted. Compiled by this site: for a private specialist, you can ask the hospital or clinic directly how to book; if you use medical insurance, whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed depends on the policy terms, and you can ask the insurer first.
‘Eligible persons’ in the table mainly means holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card and children under 11 who are Hong Kong residents; for details, see the 2026 public healthcare fee reform.
For what a quoted consultation fee usually covers, see the private specialist fees overview; for booking steps, see how to book a public specialist outpatient clinic; for a general comparison of the two routes, see public or private for a specialist.
If the condition gets worse while waiting, you can contact the specialist outpatient clinic and ask for an earlier appointment; in an emergency, go to Accident & Emergency.
| Item | Public (Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinics) | Private (hospitals, medical centres and clinics) |
|---|---|---|
| How to start | A referral letter issued within the past three months by a locally registered doctor is required; one from a private doctor is also accepted | As arranged by the hospital or clinic |
| Triage | New cases are usually first assessed by a nurse and then reviewed by a specialist, and classed as urgent, semi-urgent or stable; the Hospital Authority's target is a median waiting time within two weeks for urgent and within eight weeks for semi-urgent new cases | As arranged by the clinic |
| Consultation fee | HK$250 per attendance for eligible persons, the same for first and follow-up visits (from 1 January 2026) | Ask the hospital or clinic; for what a quoted consultation fee usually covers, see the private specialist fees overview |
| Drugs and tests | HK$20 per drug item, charged in units of 4 weeks (excluding self-financed drugs); some lab tests and non-urgent radiology examinations are charged separately | Drugs are usually charged separately, lab tests and examinations are charged per item, and some hospitals also charge a facility fee |
| Fee protection | An annual fee cap of HK$10,000 (excluding special accommodation ward charges and self-financed drugs and devices), by application, with no means test; people in financial difficulty can apply for a medical fee waiver | Depends on your medical insurance cover |
How long is the wait for public psychiatry?
From October 2025 to September 2026, the median waiting time for stable new cases in Hospital Authority psychiatry was 23 to 58 weeks (about 5 to 13 months) across the seven hospital clusters (under the former boundaries); the data are next due to be updated on 29 January 2027. For each cluster's figures, see public waiting times for psychiatry.
From October 2025 to September 2026, the median waiting time for urgent new cases in Hospital Authority psychiatry was about 1 week or less; over the same period, the median waiting time for semi-urgent new cases in Hospital Authority psychiatry was about 2 to 3 weeks; the order is decided by healthcare staff according to the condition.
How do I compare hospitals and medical centres?
When comparing, look at the same item on the same basis. Private hospitals must keep a fee schedule covering all chargeable items, and patients have the right to know the charges before treatment (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, July 2026).
For each private hospital's fees, see private hospital fees.
| What to compare | How to compare like with like |
|---|---|
| Consultation fee | Whether the published fee is for a first consultation, a follow-up or a maximum charge; whether it is listed by doctor grade or consultation session; the published fee is usually the doctor's consultation fee only |
| Test and examination fees | Whether the price is for an outpatient or an inpatient (standard room); whether the doctor's fee and report fee are included; whether there is a set charge for patients with a Hospital Authority referral letter |
| Other charges | Whether there is a facility fee; how drugs are charged |
| Budget estimate | Before a non-emergency procedure or hospital stay, you can ask for a budget estimate; the Department of Health has recommended 30 common non-emergency treatments and procedures for which private hospitals can give a budget estimate before admission |
| Insurance | Whether fees can be billed directly to the insurer; whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed |
What should I check when using medical insurance for a psychiatrist?
Before seeing a private specialist, confirm three things with the insurer: whether the policy covers specialist outpatient visits, whether it is limited to a designated medical network, and whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed; see Using medical insurance for a private specialist.
The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme covers only individual indemnity hospital insurance; outpatient insurance is outside the Scheme. The Standard Plan covers up to 1 outpatient or emergency consultation before a hospital stay or day surgery, and up to 3 follow-up outpatient visits within 90 days after discharge or day surgery, which must be directly related to the illness or injury requiring the hospital stay or day surgery, at HK$580 per visit and HK$3,000 per policy year (Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, Standard Plan policy template, July 2022).
Some insurers offer pre-approval (commonly called ‘免找數’): if both the policy and the hospital offer direct billing, you can apply to the insurer before admission and the insurer pays the hospital directly; the approved amount is an estimate, and before discharge you still pay charges not listed in the ‘letter of guarantee’, such as the deductible, co-payment and items outside the cover (Insurance Authority, January 2024); see Medical insurance pre-approval.
What should I ask before booking, and what should I bring to the first visit?
Is the doctor listed under Psychiatry (S24) on the Medical Council's Specialist Register?
How much are the first consultation and a follow-up? What grade is the doctor?
Does the consultation fee include medicines? What tests might be needed this time, and roughly how much will they cost?
Do you accept my medical insurance, can you bill the insurer directly, and is a referral letter or pre-approval needed?
If a procedure or hospital stay is needed later, can you give a budget estimate first?
What to bring: the referral letter (if any), previous test reports and a list of the medicines you are taking; see what to prepare before seeing a specialist.
Mental health problems: when should I call 999 or go to A&E straight away?
If you feel it is an emergency, call 999 straight away. The situations in which this site suggests calling 999, with the source for each, are listed in Why do we suggest calling 999?.
If it is not urgent and you are not sure whether you need a psychiatrist, you can see a family doctor first; which specialty to be referred to is decided by the attending doctor according to your condition (see the questions below).
Frequently asked questions
Who is a good psychiatrist?
What you can check yourself: whether the doctor is listed under Psychiatry on the Medical Council's Specialist Register, whether to go public or private, the fees, and the questions to ask before booking. To find a doctor in Psychiatry by district, use Book a Doctor's Psychiatry list (168, as of 25 October 2026), each doctor page showing the register check date, in order of English name, not of preference. Book a Doctor does not publish patient reviews, because it is hard to verify whether an online reviewer actually saw the doctor; instead it lists what you can check yourself, such as register entries, qualifications and practice arrangements, with their sources and dates.
Not sure whether to see a psychiatrist? Can I see a family doctor first?
Primary healthcare is the first point of contact for individuals and families in a continuing healthcare process, and family doctors are the main providers of primary healthcare; the Primary Healthcare Blueprint's directions include improving the arrangements for family doctors to refer patients to specialists and hospitals (Health Bureau, December 2022). On choosing a family doctor, see how to choose a family doctor.