How do I go about getting a referral to confirm ADHD diagnosis?

In order to be given an official diagnosis from a Specialist with a view for medical or other treatment as well, you will need to start by completing our referral form.

Please be sure to read our prescribing information as well as the rest of the FAQ’s below.

How do I find out the waiting times for an adult ADHD assessment prior to referral?

There are a growing number of ADHD specialist providers in the UK- The NHS Neuro-behavioural Clinic, NHS commissioned private providers (e.g. Psychiatry UK and ADHD 360) or private providers. It is impossible for us to know their up-to-date waiting times. If you need to know these, you will need to contact them directly before submitting your referral request.

For more information on Right to Choose and a list of up to date providers, please visit:

• www.adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose

For the NHS Neuro-behavioural Clinic please contact 0300 304 0096. For other providers, you can find their up-to-date contact details on their websites.

I have been referred, what is the wait time and how do I chase up my appointment?

If you are wanting to find out the wait time for your referral, please contact your provider directly. As the wait times can fluctuate, the provider themselves will be able to provide a more accurate time frame.

For the NHS Neuro-behavioural Clinic please contact 0300 304 0096. For other providers, you can find their up-to-date contact details on their websites.

I have recently submitted a ADHD questionnaire, when should I hear back?

If you have recently completed and submitted an ADHD questionnaire, please be aware that due to the increasing demand in referrals, there is now a significant backlog that we are working hard to resolve and thank you for your patience in this matter.

Please allow our secretarial team 4-6 weeks from the time they receive your information. Once the referral has been sent, we will send you text notification of this. Please do not contact us before this time as it will only add to our delays. If you have not received our text after 6 weeks then please inform us by submitting a message through our website at that point.

My online ADHD questionnaire ADHD referral request was rejected. Why is this?

You will have received a message from us explaining that the form you submitted was incomplete and can therefore not be processed. Most likely, it is because you have not chosen your preferred provider to be referred to. We are unable to choose this for you or identify the shortest waiting times which are changing, as mentioned above. Please resubmit the online questionnaire and then this can be processed. If you require assistance in filling the form, then please hold until you can get help from a friend, family member or, if you are a student, the Student Life Centre.

I would like to pursue a private referral, will you be able to prescribe my medication on the NHS?

Please visit our website for current prescribing information: /practice-information/adhd-prescribing-information/

Will you agree to take over prescribing from my current provider?

Please visit our website for current prescribing information.

Can my GP do any tests or investigations that are requested by my specialist for the diagnosis?

Unfortunately, any examination or tests required for a diagnosis of, or prescribing for ADHD, will need to be carried out by the specialist clinics.

If an ECG (heart trace) or blood test is required by your specialist, it is for them to undertake and not general practice. They must understand the reason for undertaking the investigation and interpret the results in the context of them initiating complex specialist medications, if this is what they plan to do. They are the trained experts in this field.

If your specialist requires any input from other health professionals such as cardiologists, then they must seek this opinion themselves. General practice does not have the expertise, governance or resources to deal with these requests and you will be redirected to your specialist.

If ADHD is diagnosed, and if medication is indicated, it will be the responsibility of your chosen specialist to initiate, prescribe and monitor the medication initially (at least for the first 3months) and not in general practice.

This will include private clinics and you should ensure that you can afford initial prescription charges and on-going private consultations during the length of your treatment- this will include mandatory annual reviews.

Please check that your specialist can offer all aspects of prescribing and relevant monitoring before requesting a referral.

What is a Shared Care Agreement (SCA)?

Shared care is a formal agreement between a UK based Consultant Specialist (in this case a Psychiatrist) and a GP. It enables collaborative working and helps General Practitioners (GPs) to accept responsibility for the safe prescribing and monitoring of specialist medicines. The Shared Care Agreement sets out terms and conditions which include “responsibilities of the specialist”, “responsibilities of the GP” and “responsibilities of the patient” in order to make prescribing as safe as possible. The shared care agreements therefore need to be based on the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidelines. At any point GPs can decline shared care especially if they believe for it to be unsafe for any reason. The prescribing decision then rests with the specialist alone. Shared Care Agreements can be void if terms are not met or adhered to; an example of this is that every patient on ADHD medication requires an annual review with their specialist and if this is not carried out GPs will be unable to continue prescribing where they had previously agreed.

Unfortunately, we cannot engage in a shared care agreement from any specialist from abroad.