Ketamine infusions in Malta, without a GP referral
Doctor-led IV ketamine treatment for depression, PTSD, OCD and chronic pain. Less than you’d pay in London.
Why people come to Malta for infusions
Ketamine infusions are legal in the UK and much of Europe, but hard to get.
Cost
London clinics charge around £595 per infusion. Our full course, assessment included, costs less than six infusions there.
No referral
Most UK services want a letter from your GP. Here our psychiatrist sees you directly.
No postcode rules
The NHS infusion service in Oxford now takes new patients only from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We take people from anywhere.
How the course works
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01
Apply from home
Answer five questions online and book a video call with our team. A psychiatrist then confirms that infusions are right for you, before any dates are set.
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02
Six infusions over three weeks
Two a week, at our partner clinic in Malta. Each infusion takes 40 minutes, at the dose with the strongest research behind it.
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03
A doctor at every infusion
Dr Christopher Gauci, an anaesthetist, gives each infusion and watches your heart rate and blood pressure throughout.
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04
Support around it
Sessions with a psychotherapist after the course help you build on what changes. We can also suggest where to stay and fit the dates around your life.
What the research shows
55%
In the largest trial so far, 55% of people whose depression had not improved with other treatment responded to six infusions over three weeks.
New England Journal of Medicine, 2023
67%
In a trial for chronic PTSD, 67% of people responded to a course of six infusions.
American Journal of Psychiatry, 2021
Hours to days
For many patients, effects begin within hours to days. Standard antidepressants usually take weeks.
American Journal of Psychiatry, 2013
What an infusion is like
Before
The doctor checks your blood pressure and heart rate and talks you through the session.
During
You lie back for about 40 minutes with the doctor beside you. A calm, dreamlike feeling is common and passes once the infusion ends.
After
You rest until you feel steady, usually within a couple of hours, then someone takes you back to where you are staying.
Who you will meet
The doctors who assess you and give the infusions, and the psychotherapist who leads the retreat programmes.
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Medical lead
Licensed and practising anaesthetist and intensive care specialist. Hospital experience in Malta and the United Kingdom. Teaches cardiopulmonary resuscitation.View profile
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Lead psychiatrist
Consultant Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, thirty-five years in psychiatry. Trained and worked in the UK, then Consultant Psychiatrist at Mount Carmel hospital for ten years. Former Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Malta and past member of the Medical Council.View profile
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Audra Micallef
Chief psychotherapist
Warranted psychotherapist, twenty years in practice. Leads therapeutic groups and retreats, and supervises other therapists.
If you want more than the infusions
The same medical team runs residential programmes in Malta, with therapy before, during and after the week.
The seven-week programme
One week on the island, held either side by the work that makes it stick.
- 01Three weeks of preparation, by video
- 02Medically supervised ketamine sessions, the number set by the doctor
- 03Four guests in the house, no more
- 04Three weeks of integration with your therapist
Other ways to spend the week
The house on the island
Traditional Maltese stone in San Lawrenz, with room for four guests and the clinical team. Meals are cooked on site by a dedicated chef.
- Five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom
- Open courtyard and a living room with a fireplace
- Dining room with a private kitchen and a dedicated chef
- Swimming pool and an outdoor area facing the sunset
- Hot jacuzzis, an ice bath and a sound bath dome
- Olive garden and a bonfire zone
What you can verify about us
Everything here can be checked without asking us. If something you need is missing, say so on the call and we’ll send it.
Learn more
What comes up on the first call, in the order it comes up
What can infusions help with?
The strongest research is in depression, including depression that has not improved with medication. There is growing research in PTSD and chronic pain, and earlier research in OCD. The psychiatrist looks at your situation at the assessment.
Do I need a referral from my GP?
No. Our psychiatrist assesses you directly. If you already see a psychiatrist, you can use their assessment instead.
How long do I need to be in Malta?
The course is six infusions, two a week over three weeks. We go through the dates with you on the call and plan your stay around them.
Can I keep taking my antidepressants?
Often yes, and it depends on which medication and at what dose. This is one of the first things the psychiatrist checks. Don’t stop anything before you speak to us.
Who is with me during an infusion?
Dr Christopher Gauci, an anaesthetist and intensive care specialist, gives every infusion and monitors your heart rate and blood pressure until it ends.
What does it cost?
Less than a course at a private London clinic, and less than our residential programmes. We quote the price on the call, in writing, before you pay for the course.
What happens after the course?
Before you leave, the doctor talks through what comes next. Sessions with a psychotherapist help you build on the changes once you are home.
A 15-minute introductory call with the HIVE BIO concierge team
We answer your questions about the programmes, the villa and how the week runs, and explain what the medical assessment involves.
- You speak to the concierge team, who arrange everything around your stay
- Your medical history is discussed only with Dr Muscat and Dr Gauci, at the assessment stage
- Whether the programme suits you is decided at the medical assessment with Dr Muscat and Dr Gauci, not on this call
- We talk about cost here, because it depends on what you need
Our story
We develop next-generation mental health care protocols and the tools needed to deliver safer access to life-changing therapies for the millions who need them.
We are opening a network of clinics using ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.