A new clinic at the Warneford Hospital gives people with first-episode psychosis a brain scan, memory tests and health checks in one visit. Who can be referred.

A clinic believed to be the first of its kind in the UK has opened at the Warneford Hospital in Headington, for people experiencing psychosis for the first time. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust announced it on Tuesday 27 October.

The Baseline Biomarker Check clinic, known as the BBC clinic, brings a set of assessments together in a single appointment. The trust says it should mean shorter waits for appointments and results. (Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, 27 October 2026)

What happens at the clinic

The clinic is a one-off appointment, usually within a few weeks of diagnosis. In a single visit, patients are offered:

  • an MRI brain scan
  • memory and thinking assessments
  • a physical health check, including neurological health
  • a detailed conversation about their symptoms, health, background and experiences

It is based at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity on the Warneford site. (Oxford Health, Baseline Biomarker Check Clinic)

Why it matters

Psychosis is when someone sees or hears things others do not, or develops unusual beliefs that are hard to shift. The trust says symptoms often start in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Psychosis has many possible causes, and people respond differently to treatment. That can make the right diagnosis slow to reach in routine care, the trust says. The clinic aims to give doctors “a more complete picture early in a person’s care”.

Dr Graham Blackman, a consultant psychiatrist at Oxford Health and the clinic’s lead, said:

“Experiencing psychosis for the first time can be overwhelming for patients and their families. The new BBC clinic allows us to bring together a range of assessments in one place and at an early stage in a person’s care.”

Research is optional

The clinic is a joint NHS and research service. Patients can choose to take part in extra research during the same visit, such as a longer MRI scan, more memory tasks on an iPad, or giving a blood sample. The trust says taking part is “entirely voluntary and separate from their clinical care”.

The aim is to understand why psychosis develops and why treatments work for some people and not others. The clinic is funded through the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, with Wellcome.

An Oxfordshire resident who has experienced psychosis tried the clinic during a pilot. She said it “felt like a safe space to talk, I felt listened to”.

What it means for you

  • You cannot book it yourself. Patients already under Oxford Health’s Early Intervention in Psychosis service may be referred by their consultant.
  • If you or a family member is under that service, ask the consultant whether the BBC clinic is suitable.
  • Questions about the clinic go to the clinic team on 01865 613115, the number on the trust’s clinic page.
  • If you are worried about someone now, the NHS lists where to get urgent help for mental health, including NHS 111.