Dr Hazel Fernandes

Dr. Hazel Fernandes is a Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist with 30+ years in Medical Practice (10 years in Obstetrics & Gynaecology) & 20 years in Psychiatry working in Paediatric Hospitals, Inpatient Units, Day Hospital(Ireland) Inpatient Unit & Community CAMHS(NHS). She has worked across both private and public sector in the UK and Ireland. She made the conscious decision to leave the NHS and work exclusively within the private sector aspiring to provide quicker turnaround from assessment, diagnosis and delivery of care plans. She currently works exclusively in the private sector in the UK, in person and online and has worked collaboratively to establish a robust CAMHS Service in the private sector.

She has extensive experience in neurodevelopmental disorders-Autism assessments (ADI-r and ADOS-2 trained) and ADHD, completing these assessments whilst drawing on her vast experience in the field of Medicine.

Her training in Cognitive behavioural therapy facilitates the engagement of children during the assessment and designing care plans for the client. She also specialises in Eating Disorders, Anxiety and Mood disorders, Attachment disorders which provides an in depth perspective to her assessments for ASD & Autism. Her care plans are informed by her medical experience and evidence based research. As a former Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, she has an unique understanding of the prenatal, antenatal and post-natal factors that can shape a child’s physical and mental health. Her experience as a Consultant Psychiatrist in the Paediatric Liaison Service( Paediatric Hospital) in Ireland and later as a Consultant Psychiatrist in a busy Inpatient Unit( Outstanding NHS Trust) in the UK, managing complex cases, and as a Consultant Psychiatrist for Looked after children has enriched her practice from which her clients benefit. She currently works across neurodevelopmental services(ADHD &Autism) and in Generic CAMHS at the coalface of very complex cases many of which required reviews of existing diagnosis and evaluation of undiagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders.

Her care plans therefore target the four core areas for intervention: Individual, Family, School and Medical. To her the assessments are only a springboard to developing resilience and lifelong skills that empower and enrich children and their families drawing on the strengths and the support systems in existence.