Private psychology clinic will help meet growing demand in Leicester.
A private psychology clinic is set to open Leicester’s first specialised neurodiverse assessment centre.
The news of the facility at Purple House Clinic (PHC) will come as a relief to many people in Leicestershire. Particularly when the number of patients who rely on NHS services received their first care contact within 13 weeks rose from 6,928 to 8,973. This marks a rise of 30% between 2021-20221, according to PHC.
It's a troubling national statistic when you consider around one in seven people in the UK are predicted to be neurodiverse (have ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and Tourette’s syndrome).
"We are excited to announce the launch of our second PHC here in Leicester. Since 2018, we have provided individualised, easy-to-access psychological services to adults and children across Leicestershire," said Vicki Edwards, the Director of Purple House Clinic Leicester.
"Our team of 22 associate clinicians have helped with various assessments and mental health difficulties, including depression, anxiety, phobias, PTSD, complex trauma and personality issues.”
“With the pandemic and increased awareness of mental health issues, the requirement for our services has skyrocketed.
"In 2022 we saw 410 patients from the surrounding area - the majority of which wanted neurodiverse assessments - an increase of 52% from the previous year.
The new facility will provide a number of services. They include assessments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning difficulties (Educational Psychology), and sensory difficulties (Occupational Therapy).
In a bid to tackle the overwhelming demand for assessments in the Leicestershire area, the facility is a welcome addition to the city.
"This emphasises how important our services are to the local community here in Leicester. By opening a second clinic dedicated to neurodiverse assessment, we aim to help reduce waiting times for people already looking in the area and provide a viable alternative to using NHS services.
“In Leicester, our most popular service is definitely the specialist assessments for neurodiversity.
"We have noticed our waiting list was getting longer and longer due to increased patient demand, so we decided it was time to open a new clinic.
"This means we can now carry out even more specialist assessment services and ultimately help more people receive the right diagnosis and treatment faster.
“Inside the new clinic, we have two psychiatry rooms for assessments, treatments and follow-ups. We also have a psychological assessment room and a variety of areas for family, individual, couple and adult therapies.
"As well as all this, we are looking to bring in four more psychiatrists and four clinical psychologists to add to our fantastic team of qualified clinicians.”
As well as offering individual support to adults and children, PHC also provides training, workshops and lectures to organisations on subjects related to mental health, psychology and child development, as well as providing consultancy and clinical supervision services.
