Hi Phil,

I notice another redditor has told you HSBC have a once in a lifetime option to upgrade your private healthcover, to include psychiatric treatment. This is actually true of all healthcover providers as it was brought in by the government. The important this to know is you must already have hospital cover. Otherwise if you are only signing up now then standard waiting periods apply prior to upgrade to private psychiatric services.

If this is not an option for you there are also community mental health inpatient services which are for individuals who are not considered acute enough to be admitted to a public hospital but require assistance. These inpatient services are zoned for regions and are generally attached to public hospitals. They do not require a referral from a hospital and a referal from your treating practitioner (psychiatrist) should suffice.

I would suggest doing a quick search for public community inpatient mental health services. There is often a limit of one admission a year for a period of up to 3-4 weeks. As they are public health services you should not be charged. There may be a wait period however my experience is that it is weeks not months. Perhaps this may be useful if not now, maybe in the future. Community facilities often have a team of professionals able to assist in your recovery such as a psychiatrist, social workers ect.

I wish you a fast and stable recovery.