We diagnose and treat patients with symptoms and illnesses of the mind and brain, including complex neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
Key points
- We diagnose and treat people with complex mental health issues, neuropsychiatric, neurocognitive, neurodegenerative and neurological conditions
- We provide patients and their families with comprehensive assessment and management advice
- We accept referrals through a GP or other medical specialist
What we do
The Neuropsychiatry Centre is a clinical unit of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH).
As a statewide specialist mental health service, we offer neuropsychiatric assessment and advice to psychiatric, neurological and other medical and mental health services.
We employ a multidisciplinary approach to provide patients and their families with comprehensive assessment and management advice.
Our team has a high level of expertise and knowledge across:
- Neuropsychiatry
- Neuropsychology
- Neurology
- Occupational therapy
- Speech pathology
- Social work
- Specialist mental health and general nursing
Introduction to the Neuropsychiatry Centre
Who can use our service
As a statewide specialist service, we accept referrals for assessment throughout Victoria, and on occasion from interstate.
We receive referrals from acute psychiatric inpatient units, community mental health services, aged mental health services, rural mental health services, private psychiatrists and general medical services, including general practice.
Eligibility criteria
We assess patients who have a mixture of psychiatric and/or neurological conditions that require specialised diagnosis, investigation and management.
For example, your patient may be referred to our service for:
- Differentiating severe mental illness from ‘organic disorders’
- Younger onset dementia, or rare or atypical dementias
- Movement disorders – either primary (Huntington’s Disease or predictive Huntington’s Disease) or secondary (medication-related)
- Neurogenetics
- Metabolic Neuropsychiatry
- Inborn metabolic disorders with psychiatric sequelae (Niemann Pick Type C, PKU)
- Cognitive impairment associated with psychiatric illness
- Neurological disorders (for example, Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy)
- Complex psychiatric disorders
- Conversion disorders
- Deep Brain Stimulation for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Complex or treatment-resistant major psychiatric illness
- ECT in Autism spectrum disorder and catatonia
- Congenital neuropsychiatric disorders
- Other neuropsychiatric presentation (schizophrenia with movement disorder, vasculitis, organic psychiatric disorder, neurometabolic disorder)
- Access to investigations for those with severe mental illness
What we offer
Our specialists can offer the following services:
- Neuropsychiatric assessment
- Neuropsychological assessment
- Primary or secondary consultations
- Second opinions
- Attendance at multidisciplinary meetings
- Educational seminars
- Involvement in carer and patient support
- Video interpreting services available
Our clinics
| Clinic name | Location | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Neuropsychology Clinic | The RMH Parkville |
Our clinics
Referrals
We accept referrals for this service
To refer your patient:
- Check the referral criteria listed under 'Who can use our service'
- Complete our Neuropsychiatry Centre online referral form – referrals sent via email will not be considered
Contact the Neuropsychiatry Intake Registrar on (03) 9138 2850 or at neuropsychiatry@mh.org.au if you would like to discuss a new referral.
If your enquiry relates specifically to an inpatient admission, please phone (03) 9342 4045.
Referral process
Once we receive a referral, we will decide whether an outpatient assessment is required. The clinical team meets weekly to discuss incoming referrals.
Referrals will not be accepted if:
- The referral is submitted via email - we will only consider a referral to be suitable if a GP or medical specialist submits a completed online referral form
- Another service is felt to be more appropriate (such as a private psychiatrist or brain injury service)
- The request is only for neuropsychology assessment and management alone - we are not a neuropsychology service
Urgent and after-hours support
We do not do crisis assessments. If your patient is presenting in an emergency situation, call 000 for an immediate response.
For out of hours support, call Triage on 1300 874 243.
HealthPathways Melbourne provides guidance on best practice assessment and management of common medical conditions, including when and where to refer patients.
Parkville Connect is a secure web-based portal providing GPs, specialists and other health professionals with information in the Parkville electronic medical record (EMR).
Requests for patient medical records
Patients have the right to access their medical records and other information.
Find out more about freedom of information (FOI) requests.
If you require a medical record for a patient and/or client for legal purposes, see 'Requesting patient information' on our For GPs page.
Change or cancel an appointment
Outpatient appointments are scheduled at least 3 months in advance.
If patients would like to cancel or reschedule their appointment, please keep this in mind.
Links & documents
Level 7
635 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, Victoria
Start your Telehealth video call at your appointment time by joining this waiting room.
Your donation goes towards research and clinical services to enhance the lives of patients, their families and carers living with younger onset dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.