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North East health specialist joins forces with London Psychiatry Centre

Newcastle Premier Health is hoping to lead a modern charge on combating depression, after entering a partnership with The London Psychiatry Centre.

The North East health specialist is now offering repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), which has been approved by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), for the treatment of depression in adults.

The treatment, which is not widely available in the UK, influences electrical brain activity through a pulsed magnetic field which can safely penetrate the scalp and skull without pain, to create new activity in targeted brain cells.

As such, it can selectively alter activity in concentrated areas of the brain, bringing about desired effects that have been shown to be effective in treating a variety of mental health problems.

The treatment, which is an alternative to antidepressants, is carried out using state-of-the art equipment in sessions which last approximately 35-40 minutes and are given each day for five days a week, for 4-6 weeks.

In line with the introduction of rTMS, Newcastle Premier Health has appointed Kerry Reay as mental health nurse.

Kerry brings with her extensive experience including over 16 years working within nursing, having held roles such as mental health nurse and community psychiatric nurse. Kerry holds a Diploma in Mental Health Nursing from Northumbria University.

Mark Philpott, business director at Newcastle Premier Health, said: “At Newcastle Premier Health, we pride ourselves on offering a holistic and integrated approach to medicine, with the aim of helping our patients achieve their physical and mental health and wellbeing goals.

“The London Psychiatry Centre is at the forefront of rTMS, and has developed and researched protocols for its delivery with exceptionally high levels of efficacy. We are delighted to be working with them to offer our patients this effective and safe intervention to help overcome depression, including treatment-resistant depression.”

Doctor Andy Zamar, consultant psychiatrist at The London Psychiatry Centre, added: “Newcastle Premier Health is renowned for offering expert, high-quality medical services and we are pleased to be partnering with them.

“At The London Psychiatry Centre we champion evidence-based treatments for psychiatric problems; we introduced rTMS following a careful study of evidence from trials and data spanning several thousand patients in the USA and Canada. We are thrilled that our own early work with this ground-breaking treatment is also bearing positive results.

“The London Psychiatry Centre was the first practice in the UK to offer rTMS treatment to patients and is one of the world leaders in pioneering the treatment. We firmly believe in the benefits of rTMS and we are excited, working with Newcastle Premier Health, for it to be available to those in the North East of England who require treatment.”

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