Its an emergency

Report to your nearest Emergency Room (ER).

Emergency assistance requested via email, voicemail, text message, social media is not available. Contact 021 712 6699 after hours to speak to medical paging services that can explain the emergency processes outlined below.

Once assessed by an ER doctor at for example Kingsbury Hospital or Mediclinic Constantiaberg you will be advised if the psychiatric emergency is appropriate for private inpatient care, involuntary state inpatient care or outpatient care.

Patients known to my practice, can be discussed with me via the ER Doctor.

For urgent matters that do not require an emergency room visit, contact my office on 021 761 1188 during office hours to arrange an appointment. Patients known to me can generally be accommodated relatively quickly. New patients need to be first assessed by a ER doctor/GP/psychologist/counsellor before an appointment is arranged.

Requests for prescriptions are often left for the last minute and become urgent/emergency scenarios. Pharmacies are allowed to issue emergency stock until you are able too secure an appointment. I do not give repeat scripts without seeing/reviewing patients. If you cannot see me due to financial or other reasons, request a referral letter that you can show to your GP or local government clinic to obtain your medication.

Of note, involuntary admissions (where symptoms are very severe and/or the patient is not willing to be admitted) can only be made at government facilities (district hospitals like New Somerset Hospital, Groote Schuur Hospital and Victoria Hospital) in Cape Town based on where the patient resides. Involuntary admissions include a family member completing an application for involuntary care which initiates a 72-hour evaluation (if the admitting doctors agree there are sufficient grounds). This form is called an MHCA form 4 and is available at emergency rooms.