Welcome
Dr Michael Rowlands is a highly experienced Consultant Psychiatrist specialising in adult mental health and addiction. With a career spanning over 40 years, he offers compassionate, expert care in private practice, focusing on clinical excellence and recovery without the use of substitution medication for controlled substances.
Dr Michael Rowlands trained at Birmingham University Medical School, qualifying in 1979 (MB ChB). Following his pre-registration year, he chose to pursue a career in Psychiatry.
Following his time in Birmingham, he held positions at the Priory Hospital, Roehampton, and St George’s Hospital in London. During this time, he also undertook research at the Medical College of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, alongside completing his higher psychiatric training.
In 1990, he was appointed as a Consultant with East Surrey District Health Authority (Redhill), where he held responsibility for Adult General Psychiatry and Substance Misuse. In this role, he developed community services for both drug and alcohol treatment.
Since 1995, Dr Rowlands has been in full-time private practice. He has been associated with the Priory Hospital Sturt (Walton on the Hill), the Priory Hospital Woking, and served as Medical Advisor and later Medical Director at Farm Place (Dorking), an internationally recognised addiction treatment centre based on the Minnesota Model.
He sees approximately 250 new patients annually, primarily referred by general practitioners. Due to the demands of his clinical workload, he does not accept instructions for Medico Legal Reports from solicitors. He has a particular interest in working with individuals experiencing addiction problems, though he does not prescribe substitution medication for controlled substances.
Between 2005 and 2011, Dr Rowlands served as Medical Director at Cygnet Hospital Godden Green. He is a member of the General Medical Council’s panel of Psychiatric Examiners and Supervisors.
Throughout his career, Dr Rowlands has focused on clinical practice and service development. He has also published work on the subject of vexatious litigants.
Consultations
Dr Rowlands offers remote consultations via Zoom or WhatsApp, supported by UK insurers. These flexible sessions allow nationwide therapist referrals, prescriptions, and medical letters. Consultations are private and not recorded. Family involvement is optional. By booking, patients consent to remote consultation under secure, professional conditions.
Consultations are conducted remotely using Zoom and WhatsApp video conferencing. The UK private health insurance companies are in agreement with this method of communication and are allowing refund of consultation fees.
The video conferencing generally works well, and Dr Rowlands tries to allow more time for this medium. Some of the subtleties of psychiatric consultation are not able to be picked up, but from a patient’s perspective, there is immense flexibility both in terms of time and location of appointments, but also it allows Dr Rowlands to refer to any therapist anywhere in the UK that is most effective for your condition.
By agreeing to the appointment, you are also agreeing to have the consultation undertaken remotely.
Appointments are not recorded, so Dr Rowlands will look away from the screen, at times, to make written notes. Dr Rowlands is in a quiet private room, for the duration of the consultation. Dr Rowlands would, in general, prefer to consult with the patient whilst they are alone, but if you would like family members or friends to be present, please let him know. It can often be helpful to speak to family members at the end of the consultation, although this option is entirely at the patient's discretion.
Please ensure that there is sufficient battery charge is available on your phone for 60-90 minutes.
Sick notes; can be written, scanned and sent across by email during the consultation, if required.
Prescriptions; can either be posted, or collected from 128 Brighton Road Tadworth KT20 6AQ or sent to an on-line pharmacy which will deliver to your door (a dispensing charge by the chemist is made for all private prescriptions the amount depending on the cost of drugs).
Letters; Dr Rowlands will write, and send by secure email, to your GP with his opinion and medication recommendations. GPs will usually prescribe on Dr Rowlands’ behalf although they have no legal duty to do so. Dr Rowlands is happy to include copy GP and other letters by email. You may request that Dr Rowlands does not write to your GP, but if medication is prescribed, it is good medical practice to do so and a very brief letter can be written to the GP. Dr Rowlands would like to be made aware of any issues that are not required in the GP letter.
Dr Rowlands is a Healthcare provider for:
