Dr Kevin Pankhurst | Psychiatrist

If you are thinking about seeking help with your mental health — perhaps for the first time, or after a difficult experience elsewhere — it can feel like a big step. I have spent thirty years working alongside people at some of the most challenging moments of their lives, in the NHS and in private practice. My aim, whether you are coming to me with questions about your mood, your attention, your anxiety, or something harder to name, is simply to help you feel heard, understood, and supported in finding a way forward. This page is here to help you get a sense of who I am before you decide to get in touch.

Background and Training

I qualified in medicine at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa in 1995, going on to complete my specialist training in psychiatry at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, where I received my MMed (Psychiatry) in 2004. That training was broad, covering general adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry (working with people in the criminal justice system), old age psychiatry, neurological conditions, liaison psychiatry (supporting patients with mental health needs in general hospital settings), and psychotherapy. This breadth means that I bring a wide clinical perspective to every assessment — I am not a specialist in one narrow area but a fully rounded psychiatrist who understands how physical health, life history, and mental wellbeing are deeply connected.

Early in my career I also worked in anaesthesiology and as a resident medical officer in London, giving me a solid foundation in general medicine that continues to inform the careful, whole-person approach I bring to psychiatric care.

NHS and Clinical Experience

Since moving to the UK, I have built an extensive career within the National Health Service, working across some of its most demanding settings. I have worked in crisis and home treatment teams — services that support people through acute mental health emergencies, often as an alternative to hospital admission — as well as acute inpatient psychiatry and community mental health services. I have also worked in forensic psychiatry at HMP Wormwood Scrubs and in community psychiatry across a number of London NHS Trusts.

Since 2008, I have been a Consultant Psychiatrist with Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, working in community mental health recovery services in Surrey. In my current NHS role I hold the statutory responsibilities of Responsible Clinician.

This depth of NHS experience matters for private patients too. It means that I have worked with people across the full range of mental health difficulties, in high-pressure settings where clear thinking, sound clinical judgement, and genuine human compassion are essential.

Private Practice

I founded Pankhurst Psychiatry in 2016 and have been seeing private patients ever since. I hold clinics in Esher in Surrey, Guildford, and Maidenhead in Berkshire, offering accessible appointments across the South East.

My private practice is built on the same values I bring to my NHS work: thoroughness, honesty, and a genuine commitment to each person's wellbeing.

Areas of Expertise

I see adults with a wide range of mental health concerns. I have particular interest and experience in ADHD in adults — both assessment and ongoing treatment — as well as depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and difficulties with self-harm or emotional regulation. I also work with people affected by alcohol misuse and addiction, and carry out specialist psychiatric assessments for aviation professionals. Whatever brings you to me, I will take the time to understand your individual circumstances rather than offer a one-size-fits-all response.

Approach to Care

I believe that a good psychiatric assessment is, above all, a conversation. I am not interested in reducing people to a diagnosis. My approach is to listen carefully, ask the right questions, and work with you to build a picture of what is happening and why — before discussing options in plain, straightforward language. Treatment plans are always discussed and agreed with the patient, never simply prescribed.

I am an experienced teacher and supervisor of junior doctors, specialist trainees, GP trainees, medical students, and nurse prescribers, which reflects my belief that good medicine is also about communication, mentorship, and sharing knowledge generously.

Qualifications and Registration

I hold an MB ChB from the University of Stellenbosch (1995) and an MMed (Psychiatry) from the University of the Free State (2004). I am a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (membership number 814145) and fully registered with the General Medical Council (GMC number 4332240), which maintains the official register of licensed doctors in the UK. I also hold a Teaching and Training Certificate from KSS Deanery and am a Registered Educational and Clinical Tutor with the GMC. You can verify my registration at any time on the GMC's public website.

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