Patient services

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specialises in mental health conditions and treats conditions such as mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, addictions, cognitive disorders, and other medical conditions that may have mental health complications. As a doctor, a psychiatrist may order special investigations such as blood tests and brain scans and prescribe medications as treatment. A psychiatrist generally heads a team of other mental health professionals in the management of a patient.

A clinical psychologist, on the other hand, is a highly skilled mental health care practitioner who treats mental health disorders using various forms of psychotherapy, including supportive therapy, behavioural therapies, and trauma integration therapies, to name a few. Other types of therapists, such as counselling psychologists, educational psychologists, and counsellors, are also involved in the treatment of mental health conditions to varying extents. 

Your referring doctor will often advise you on whom to consult. 

Please visit the billing and fees section of this website for information on consultation costs at this practice.

This practice has a contract for payment arrangements with several major medical schemes, and members of these medical schemes will not be responsible for co-payments. For members of other medical schemes, the practice may require a co-payment for a consultation.

For a first consultation, this practice requires the patient to pay part of the first consultation fee after the consultation in cash or by card. This portion may be claimed back (in part/in full) from the medical scheme. The practice claims the remaining portion of the first consultation fee from the scheme.

Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMB) are benefits that can be applied for from your medical scheme for certain medical conditions, for which the medical scheme will pay for certain benefits (like psychotherapy) from another fund and not from your day-to-day benefit or medical savings. PMBs are generally limited to 15 outpatient consultations (shared between a psychiatrist and a psychologist) and/or 21 in-hospital days. [Outpatient visit = 1.5 In-hospital days]

Medical aids only pay for certain conditions under the chronic medicine benefit. That is, a predefined list of medications -- this is available from your medical aid. Generally a chronic medication application will have to be done to access this benefit. In most cases this entails a form to be completed by both the patient and the doctor. Any medication that is used on a chronic basis is therefore not necessarily eligible for cover under the chronic medicine benefit. E.g. mood stabilisers may be covered but sleeping tablets or sedative medications will not be.

Yes, in general, it's good practice to see your general practitioner before consulting a specialist. This is because your GP may be able to treat you successfully at a lower cost and in less time. If not, they can refer you to the appropriate specialist.

Members of certain medical aids require a specialist referral number from their general practitioner before a specialist can submit a claim to their scheme. Without such a number, the member may be liable for consultation fees.

This practice admits patients for inpatient care exclusively at Zwavelstream Clinic. Hospital admission is always arranged in consultation with a doctor or after consulting with the patient. Admissions are therefore always prearranged. For emergencies, a patient must visit their nearest emergency/casualty department.

During office hours, please contact the practice directly, and we will do our best to assist as soon as possible. After hours, please make use of your nearest emergency/casualty unit. The emergency practitioner can contact Dr Malherbe directly. Alternatively, contact the Zwavelstream Clinic after-hours number at  066 255 8501.

Unfortunately, no. The practice does not offer virtual, telemedicine or online consultations. All consultations are in person in the consulting rooms.