Ketamine infusions · Most affordable
IV ketamine infusions in Malta, without a GP referral
Our most affordable format: six infusions over three weeks, each one given by a doctor.
Why people come to Malta for infusions
Doctors in the UK and across Europe can give ketamine infusions, but there are few services and they are hard to get into.
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 ketamine service run by the NHS trust in Oxford now takes new patients only from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We take people from anywhere.
What one visit is like
Before
The doctor checks your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels and talks you through the session. Your dose is worked out for your body weight, at the level with the strongest research behind it.
During
You lie back and stay awake while it goes in slowly through a drip in your arm, for about 40 minutes. The doctor is beside you the whole time. Many people feel calm and dreamlike.
After
You rest until you feel steady, usually within a couple of hours, and someone takes you back to where you are staying. Don’t drive until the next day.
Every dose is given by a doctor at the clinic. There is nothing to take home.
How the course works
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01
Apply from home
Answer a few questions online and book a video call with our team. A psychiatrist and the doctor who gives the infusions then confirm that they 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, blood pressure and oxygen levels throughout.
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04
Support around it
Sessions with a psychotherapist are available after the course, if you want them. 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, six infusions over three weeks at least halved symptoms for 55% of people whose depression had not improved with other treatment.
New England Journal of Medicine, 2023
67%
In a small trial of 30 people with chronic PTSD, 67% of those given ketamine responded to six infusions over two weeks.
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
Who infusions can help
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. Our psychiatrist looks at your situation before any dates are set.
What the course includes
Included
- A psychiatric assessment before any dates are set. If you already see a psychiatrist, their assessment can be used.
- Six infusions, two a week for three weeks, at our partner clinic in Malta.
- A doctor at every infusion, watching your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels.
Arranged by you
- Flights and a place to stay. We suggest where to stay and plan the dates around you.
On request
- Sessions with a psychotherapist after the course.
Who you will meet
The doctors who assess you and give the infusions, and the psychotherapist who leads the 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.
Questions about infusions
Will I lose control during an infusion?
Not in the way people describe recreational ketamine. The dose is low and goes in slowly. Many people feel calm and dreamlike, a little detached from their body or the room, and some feel a little sick, dizzy or sleepy for a while. It fades once the infusion ends, and most people feel steady within about two hours. The doctor is beside you throughout and can slow the infusion down or stop it if it becomes too intense.
When will I notice a change, and how long does it last?
For many patients, effects begin within hours to days. Repeated infusions make the effect last longer, which is why it is given as a course. How long it lasts differs from person to person, and your doctor will talk with you about what to expect and what support there is after the course.
How is this different from ketamine lozenges or a nasal spray?
Lozenges are often taken at home. The nasal spray is a different medicine, related to ketamine, and is used in a clinic under supervision. Our course is six infusions into a vein, each given and watched by a doctor, with nothing to take home. Six infusions over three weeks is the schedule used in the largest trial so far (New England Journal of Medicine, 2023).
How long do I need to be in Malta?
The course runs over three weeks, with two infusions a week. We plan the dates with you on the call, plan your stay around them and suggest where to stay.
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.
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.
What does it cost?
Less than a course at a private London clinic, and less than our residential programmes. Alex gives you the exact figure on the call.
No GP letter, no postcode rules, and a doctor at every infusion.
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.