Frequently Asked Questions
Every question we've ever been asked.
Years of patient questions, organised and answered in plain English. Search for what you need, browse by topic, or scroll through the lot. If your question isn’t here, we’d genuinely like to know — there’s a way to ask us at the bottom of the page.
- Most Asked
What people ask first.
The seven questions that come up on almost every discovery call. If you’re in a hurry, start here.
- About Save Minds
About the clinic.
Who we are, where we are, and how we’re set up.
Who is Save Minds?
Save Minds is a Centre for Precision Neuropsychiatry & Rapid-Acting Interventions — a private mental health clinic specialising in IV ketamine infusion therapy for treatment-resistant conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and suicidal ideation. For people who haven’t found relief through standard therapies, we offer care that is private, closely monitored, and led by a team of consultants. We are a consultant-led UK intravenous treatment service founded in 2017, based in St John’s Wood, London.
Where are you located?
Our clinic is The Aura Centre, Charlbert Street, St John’s Wood, London NW8 7BT. The closest tube is St John’s Wood station on the Jubilee line.
When did Save Minds open?
Save Minds opened in 2017.
Is Save Minds CQC registered?
Yes. Save Minds is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, and has been inspected and rated Good.
Are you NHS or private?
We are a private clinic. We do not accept NHS funding, NHS referrals on an NHS-funded basis, or NHS waiting-list placements. Treatment is self-funded. The only NHS ketamine clinic in the UK is at Oxford, which operates separately with limited capacity.
How many patients have you treated?
More than 750 patients to date. Save Minds has delivered more than 7,500 treatment sessions, each administered by a consultant. We treat patients from across the UK and internationally, including from Europe and the Middle East.
Is treatment legal in the UK?
Yes. Ketamine is a licensed prescription medication in the UK, used routinely as an anaesthetic and increasingly in mental health treatment. Use of ketamine for treatment-resistant mental health conditions is currently classified as “off-label” — meaning it’s used for a purpose outside its original licence — but this is both legal and clinically supported. NHS Oxford uses the same approach.
Is Save Minds part of a chain or franchise?
No. Save Minds is independently owned and operated, with one clinic delivering all treatment.
- About the Treatment
How ketamine actually works.
The science behind why ketamine is different — and what it isn’t.
What is ketamine therapy?
Ketamine therapy is a treatment for severe, treatment-resistant mental health conditions, using carefully controlled doses of ketamine delivered intravenously under continuous medical supervision. It is thought to act on different brain pathways from conventional antidepressants. Proposed mechanisms are under investigation; evidence and expected response differ by condition.
How does ketamine work for mental health?
Traditional antidepressants like SSRIs target the monoamine systems – serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine – which involve a small proportion of the brain’s neurons. Ketamine instead works on the glutamate system, which accounts for around 80% of synapses in the brain’s outer layer (the neocortex) and is far more widespread. Research suggests that downstream effects may include changes in AMPA signalling, synaptic plasticity and neurotrophic pathways, but the relationship between these biological effects and clinical improvement remains under investigation.
Why do you use IV infusion?
Oral, nasal, and intramuscular ketamine all have unpredictable absorption — two patients on the same dose can end up with very different drug levels in the bloodstream. IV infusion gives precise, controlled dosing in real time, with the ability to adjust mid-session. The published randomised controlled trials of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression have used IV delivery.
Is this experimental?
No. Ketamine has been used as an anaesthetic in operating theatres since the 1960s. Its use for treatment-resistant depression has been studied since the year 2000, with growing clinical and research support. In 2019, the FDA granted esketamine – a different, nasal-spray formulation related to ketamine – Breakthrough Therapy designation, an expedited-review status for treatment-resistant depression. This designation does not itself represent an efficacy verdict, and it applies to esketamine specifically, not to the IV ketamine treatment offered at Save Minds, which remains an off-label prescription treatment. Save Minds has been delivering ketamine-assisted treatment since 2017.
Do you offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy?
No. Some clinics combine ketamine with structured psychotherapy sessions during the infusion. We take a different approach — focused on the neuroplastic effect of the medication itself, with the recovery work done through regular monitoring and patient self-direction. Many of our patients see their own therapists separately during and after treatment, but we do not offer therapy in-house.
Is ketamine the same as the recreational drug?
Pharmacologically, yes – ketamine is the exact same drug molecule. However, the purity, context, dose, and supervision are completely different. Purity: medical ketamine is pharmaceutical-grade, manufactured and tested to strict regulatory purity standards, and free from contaminants – recreational street ketamine is unregulated and frequently mixed with harmful fillers, bacteria, or dangerous adulterants like fentanyl. Context: therapeutic ketamine is administered in a safe, controlled clinical environment, while recreational use occurs entirely outside of a medical setting. Dose: medical treatments use precise, low doses well below anaesthetic levels, whereas recreational use involves unpredictable, often much higher doses. Supervision: patients receive continuous medical monitoring by trained professionals, while recreational use is self-administered without any safety oversight, making it genuinely harmful.
Will I become addicted?
Long-term clinical trials of ketamine treatment for depression have not documented cases of dependence or abuse following treatment. Misuse, tolerance and dependence potential are assessed before treatment and monitored throughout. Recreational ketamine misuse is a separate, real concern.
How is this different from Spravato (esketamine)?
Spravato (esketamine) is a related compound delivered as a nasal spray, currently prescribed in some UK private clinics. It’s the only mental-health ketamine formulation specifically licensed for depression, and it’s the version covered by some private insurance. We use IV racemic ketamine, which has been studied more extensively in intravenous form. Evidence and expected response differ by formulation and by condition, and we have chosen the IV route deliberately.
- Eligibility & Conditions
Who we can help — and who we can't.
Honest answers about whether we’re the right fit for your situation.
What conditions do you treat?
Treatment-resistant depression, refractory anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and severe suicidal ideation. We focus exclusively on these conditions.
What does "treatment-resistant" mean?
A condition is generally considered treatment-resistant when you’ve tried at least two antidepressants at adequate doses, for adequate time, without sustained improvement — often alongside engagement with therapy that hasn’t been enough. If your situation broadly matches this, you’re likely a candidate.
Am I suitable for treatment?
The fastest way to find out is our short eligibility check, which takes under a minute. A consultant reviews every submission personally, and the Save Minds team responds within one working day.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book a discovery call and arrange a psychiatric consultation with us directly. A GP referral is not required.
What's the minimum age?
We treat adults aged 18 and over. We don’t treat under-18s.
Who isn't suitable for ketamine therapy?
Patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure, unstable heart conditions, active psychotic disorders, untreated bipolar I disorder, current substance dependency, or who are currently pregnant. We also generally don’t treat patients who haven’t yet tried standard antidepressants and therapy — those routes should be explored through the NHS or your GP first.
Will you treat me if I have multiple overlapping conditions?
Most of our patients do. Depression with anxiety, PTSD with depression, OCD with rumination – these combinations are common. Proposed mechanisms are under investigation; evidence and expected response differ by condition. Suitability where several conditions overlap is decided at individual psychiatric assessment.
What if my primary issue is bipolar, ADHD, or an eating disorder?
We currently don’t treat these as primary conditions. If you have bipolar depression that’s stable and you’re now stuck with treatment-resistant depressive symptoms specifically, that’s a different conversation — please reach out and we’ll be honest about whether we can help.
What if I'm in crisis right now?
Please call 999 or Samaritans on 116 123 first. Crisis support is independent of Save Minds and must come first. Once you’re safe, we can absolutely help — and we have treated patients referred directly to us from NHS psychiatric inpatient units.
- The Programme
How a full programme is structured.
Frequency, duration, and what flexibility you have along the way.
How many sessions will I need?
A typical full programme is 15–20 sessions over 4–6 months, with most patients continuing to see improvement as treatment progresses. Your consultant adjusts the exact number based on your individual response.
How long does the full programme take?
Most programmes run 4–6 months from your first session to your last. The first 6 weeks involve the highest session frequency (twice weekly); after that, sessions space out gradually as you improve.
How often will I have sessions?
The standard pattern is: twice weekly for the first 3–6 weeks (induction phase), then weekly, then fortnightly, then every 3–4 weeks. Some patients benefit from occasional treatments at longer intervals later in their course; this is assessed individually with your consultant.
Can I stop treatment at any time?
Yes. There is no commitment, no upfront package, and no cancellation fee. You pay per session as you attend. About 5% of patients discontinue treatment for various reasons — that’s always your call.
What if I miss a session?
Generally not a problem. The flexibility of an outpatient programme allows for rescheduling — life happens. We do recommend keeping induction-phase sessions as consistent as possible for the best outcomes, but missing the occasional session doesn’t derail the programme.
Do I need maintenance treatments after the programme?
Some patients benefit from occasional maintenance sessions after completing the main programme. This is optional, decided based on your individual response, and tapered down over time.
Will I have to come off my current medication?
In almost all cases, no. You typically continue your existing medications throughout treatment. Decisions about reducing or stopping any medication happen later, gradually, and only in collaboration with your prescribing doctor.
Can I change my consultant during the programme?
Each treatment session is administered by a consultant, and your care is led by a named consultant throughout your programme. There isn’t a roster of consultants to switch between. If for any reason the consultant–patient relationship isn’t working, we’d discuss that openly — but we don’t have alternative consultants on rotation.
- Your Experience
What a treatment day actually looks like.
Before, during, and after — what to expect and how to prepare.
What happens at my first appointment?
Your first session is approximately four hours in total. It begins with a detailed introduction — including a PowerPoint presentation that walks you through the treatment clearly and gives you the opportunity to ask any questions. The session is unhurried and designed to ensure you feel fully informed and comfortable before treatment begins. Plan to spend around four hours at the clinic for your first visit.
Do I need to fast before treatment?
Yes — light fasting. Clear fluids are allowed up to 2 hours before; food up to 4 hours prior. This is a precaution against nausea, not a strict requirement.
Can I take my medications before treatment?
In most cases, yes — continue your normal medications unless your consultant has specifically told you otherwise. Don’t change anything without checking with us first.
What will I actually feel during a session?
Most patients describe a peaceful, slightly dreamlike state — sometimes a floating or dissociative sensation. Some sessions feel emotionally significant; others feel like resting quietly. A brief cold sensation at the infusion site is normal. You remain conscious throughout, able to speak with your consultant, and able to ask for the infusion to be slowed or paused at any moment.
How long does each session take?
The infusion itself lasts approximately 50 minutes. Including pre-session check-in and post-session recovery, usual sessions are around two hours in total.
Can I bring music or an eye mask?
Yes. For your first session, we recommend music via the room’s speaker so we can communicate easily. From later sessions, you’re welcome to bring your own earphones, playlist, and eye mask. We provide all of these too — bring whatever feels familiar.
Will I be alone during treatment?
No. Your consultant is with you throughout the session, monitoring you continuously. You’re never left alone with the infusion running.
Can my family member or friend come with me?
A trusted person can accompany you to and from the clinic — in fact, we recommend it so they can take you home afterwards. They are not permitted in the treatment room itself, but can wait in the reception area.
Can I drive after a session?
No. You cannot drive on the day of treatment. Most patients arrange a taxi, Uber, or a trusted person to drive them home. You can return to driving the day after the session.
What should I do after a session?
Rest. Hydrate. Allow yourself a quiet evening. Most patients are ready to return to normal activities the next day, but some prefer to take the rest of the treatment day off work. Photography or filming during sessions is not permitted, for everyone’s privacy.
- Safety & Side Effects
What we monitor for — and how.
The practical details on safety, side effects, and what happens if something feels wrong.
Is ketamine therapy safe?
Ketamine has recognised risks and is not suitable for everyone. At Save Minds, treatment is provided only following individual medical and psychiatric assessment. Each treatment session is administered by a consultant, with physiological monitoring during intravenous administration and post-treatment observation. Patients receive information about expected effects, recognised risks, off-label prescribing and uncertainties before consenting. Individual outcomes and adverse effects vary.
What are the side effects?
Recognised effects include transient increases in blood pressure and heart rate; dissociation, anxiety, perceptual changes, nausea, dizziness, sedation and post-treatment impairment; urinary symptoms and ketamine-associated urological injury; potential hepatic effects; uncertainty about cognitive effects with repeated exposure; misuse, tolerance and dependence potential; and risk of mania, psychosis or psychiatric deterioration in susceptible individuals. Uncertainties also remain relating to long-term repeated or maintenance treatment. Adverse experiences are assessed and managed clinically.
What if I have a difficult experience during a session?
You can communicate with your consultant throughout. If a session becomes uncomfortable — emotionally or physically — the infusion can be slowed, paused, or adjusted. Experiences vary between patients and between sessions. Anxiety, dissociation, perceptual changes or other adverse experiences can occur, and are assessed and managed clinically. You can ask for the infusion to be slowed, paused or adjusted at any point.
Is there any long-term harm from ketamine therapy?
Important uncertainties remain about the long-term effects of repeated or maintenance ketamine treatment, including cognitive effects with repeated exposure and ketamine-associated urological injury. These risks are assessed before treatment and monitored throughout. Recreational ketamine misuse – daily or near-daily high-dose self-administration – carries a substantially higher risk of bladder and kidney damage.
Will I be monitored during treatment?
Yes, continuously. Heart rate, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure are measured throughout every session using hospital-grade equipment. Your consultant remains present at all times.
What happens if my blood pressure rises during a session?
Mild rises in heart rate and blood pressure are normal and expected during a ketamine infusion — and are part of why continuous monitoring matters. If readings cross specific clinical thresholds, your consultant has protocols in place to slow or pause the infusion. This is part of why ketamine therapy must be delivered by someone with anaesthesia and intensive-care training.
Are there interactions with my other medications?
Yes — some medications can interact with ketamine. Your full medication list will be reviewed at your psychiatric consultation, and adjusted only if necessary, only in collaboration with your prescribing doctor. In almost all cases, no changes are needed.
- Monitoring & Progress
How we measure what's changing.
How daily check-ins and clinical scales work, and what your data tells us.
How do you measure if treatment is working?
Through three layers of data: a daily two-question mood and anxiety check-in via text message; six core clinical scales reviewed throughout the programme (PHQ-9, GAD-7, QIDS-SR, RRS-10, C-SSRS, WEMWBS); and two condition-specific scales where applicable (Y-BOCS for OCD, NSESSS for PTSD). Your consultant reviews this live in a clinical dashboard.
What is the mood-tracking app?
Our proprietary in-house app sends you a short daily text-message check-in for mood and anxiety from day one. It takes under 30 seconds, captures your scores, and feeds into the clinical dashboard your consultant uses. Developed with Ditto Medical — a UK-based clinical technology partner.
What if I miss a daily check-in?
Nothing happens. No penalty, no streak you’ll lose. Patterns matter more than perfection. If you forget for a few days, your overall trend is unaffected.
Will I see my own data?
Yes. Every patient has access to their own scores and progress charts through our app — every daily score, every clinical scale, every trend. You see what your consultant sees.
Is my data private?
Yes. Your data is stored on secure UK-hosted servers compliant with GDPR and NHS Digital standards. Only you and your treating consultant can access your personal records. Aggregated, fully anonymised data may be used internally to improve our programme — and occasionally for peer-reviewed publication — but always with consent and never in a way that identifies you
Can I export my own data?
Yes. At any point during or after your programme, you can request a full export of every score, every chart, and every assessment we’ve recorded. Sent securely as a PDF report. No charge.
- Pricing & Payment
The honest answers on cost.
Fees, what’s covered, and what isn’t.
How much does treatment cost?
Discovery call: free. Psychiatric consultation: £450 (one-off, includes £100 admin fee). First treatment session: £990. Subsequent sessions: £595 each. Typical full programme: £10,000–£15,000 across 15–20 sessions.
Is this NHS or covered by my insurance?
No. Save Minds is a private clinic and the only NHS ketamine service is at Oxford, which operates separately. UK private medical insurers don’t currently cover ketamine for mental health because it’s classified as “off-label” use. We can provide receipts but cannot guarantee any reimbursement.
Can I pay in instalments or use a payment plan?
No. Fees are paid as you attend each session — never upfront, never in bulk. This protects your ability to stop treatment at any time without contractual pressure.
Do you offer discounts for students, NHS staff, or veterans?
No discounted pricing structures, though we treat each enquiry on its own circumstances. If financial hardship is a significant factor, we’d rather hear about it upfront. Discovery calls remain free regardless.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Bank transfer for the £450 psychiatric consultation (paid in advance). Card payment (debit or credit, including American Express) on the day for treatment sessions. We don’t accept cheques or cryptocurrency.
Do I need to pay upfront for the whole programme?
No. You pay per session as you attend. No deposits or upfront packages.
What if it doesn't work for me?
You pay only for the sessions you’ve attended. Nothing further. No cancellation fee, no penalty. Your consultant will be honest with you about your response to treatment. If you’re not responding, this will be discussed with you directly, and you can decide together whether continuing makes sense.
- Travel & Logistics
Getting here, and getting started.
Location, transport, accommodation, and how quickly you can begin.
Where exactly is the clinic?
The Aura Centre, Charlbert Street, St John’s Wood, London NW8 7BT. We share the center with other premium medical services in St John’s Wood.
How do I get there?
Closest tube: St John’s Wood (Jubilee line), about a 5-minute walk. Buses 13, 113, 187, and 274 stop nearby. Black cabs and ride-share services can pull up directly outside.
Where can I park?
Limited paid street parking is available locally. We recommend public transport or ride-share where possible. If you do drive in, allow extra time to find a space.
What if I'm travelling from outside London?
Patients travel to us from across the UK and internationally. Many stay in nearby accommodation in St John’s Wood or Marylebone. We can suggest options for your visit.
Do you treat international patients?
Yes. We regularly treat patients who travel from the EU, Ireland, the Middle East, and occasionally further afield. International patients should expect to spend several weeks in London during the induction phase of treatment.
How quickly can I start treatment?
From completed eligibility check to first treatment is typically 1–2 weeks, depending on consultation scheduling and how quickly you’d like to move. Urgent cases can sometimes be accommodated within a few days.
- Aftercare
What happens after the programme.
Ongoing support, maintenance treatments, and continuity of care.
What happens after my programme ends?
At the end of your active programme, your consultant will review your full clinical data with you, discuss whether maintenance sessions might be helpful, and provide a treatment summary to share with your GP (with your consent). Continued daily check-ins are optional and can continue indefinitely if you’d like.
Will I need maintenance treatments?
Some patients benefit from occasional maintenance sessions for a period after completing the main programme, tapering down over time. This is decided individually with your consultant – not everyone needs maintenance.
Will my GP be informed about my treatment?
Only with your written consent. We provide a structured clinical summary to your GP and any other treating clinicians at three points: programme start, mid-programme, and programme end. You receive a copy of everything sent. Nothing is shared without your explicit permission.
What if my symptoms return after treatment?
Your consultant remains available throughout — both during and after the programme. If symptoms recur, get in touch and we’ll discuss what makes sense. Sometimes that’s a few maintenance sessions; sometimes it’s a re-evaluation of the broader treatment picture; sometimes it’s a referral elsewhere.
Can I come back for top-up sessions years later?
Yes. Many of our maintenance patients have been with us for two or three years. As long as you remain clinically suitable, you can return for top-up sessions whenever genuinely needed — at the same per-session rate as during the main programme.
Is there a patient community or support group?
No formal community. We’ve chosen not to host patient groups because privacy and confidentiality are extremely important to many of our patients. If you’d like to talk to someone else who’s been through treatment, we can sometimes arrange a confidential conversation between consenting patients — please ask.
- We Genuinely Want To Know
Something we haven't covered?
This page is the result of nine years of patient questions. If yours isn’t here, it’s a gap we’d rather close than ignore. Send us the question through any of the routes below — we’ll answer you personally, and if it’s a question others might ask, we’ll add it to this page (anonymously, of course).
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- Submit a question
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Questions answered. Decision yours.
Whenever you’re ready, the first step is either a short eligibility check or a free discovery call with our team.