How to Get an ADHD Assessment in the UK

There are three ways to get assessed for ADHD in the UK: an NHS referral, NHS Right to Choose, and paying privately. Each has real trade-offs. This page sets them out plainly, including what they cost, how long they take and what happens afterwards.

ADHD Tribe is a non-clinical coaching service. We do not assess or diagnose anyone. One of the options below is a company we are connected to, and we say so clearly where it appears.

The three routes to an ADHD assessment

1. NHS referral (free, long waits)

You ask your GP to refer you to your local NHS adult or children's ADHD service. It costs nothing and, once you are diagnosed, medication and follow-up are handled inside the NHS.

The problem is capacity. Waits of one to three years are routine, several services quote longer than five years, and some have closed their lists entirely. If you go this route, ask for the current estimated wait in writing and keep a note of your referral date.

2. NHS Right to Choose (free, but restricted since April 2025)

In England, patients have a legal right to choose which provider carries out their first outpatient appointment, as long as that provider holds an NHS contract. In practice this has let people bypass a multi-year local wait for one measured in months, at no cost to them.

Since April 2025 this has tightened considerably. Many integrated care boards have introduced caps on how many Right to Choose ADHD referrals they will fund, commonly in the region of 25 to 40 patients per area, and some have paused new referrals altogether. Right to Choose also does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Ask your GP or ICB whether it is open where you live before you build a plan around it.

3. Private assessment (paid, fast)

You pay a private provider directly. Appointments are usually available within weeks rather than years, and you choose the clinician. The trade-off is cost, and the fact that your GP is not obliged to take over prescribing afterwards.

What an assessment actually involves

• Screening questionnaires. Standardised forms completed before the appointment, often including one for a partner, parent or someone who knew you in childhood.
• A clinical interview. A structured conversation with a qualified clinician covering your history, education, work, relationships and day-to-day functioning. Typically 60 to 180 minutes, sometimes split across two appointments.
• A written report. Sets out whether the diagnostic criteria are met, the reasoning behind that conclusion, any other explanations considered, and recommendations for next steps including medication and adjustments.

Most private assessments run from booking to report inside four to eight weeks. NHS routes follow the same clinical process; the difference is how long you wait to reach it.

What it costs

NHS and Right to Choose assessments are free. Private assessments in the UK range from roughly £289 to £2,240, with a median around £950. That spread is real, and a higher price does not reliably mean a better assessment.

Before booking, ask:

• Is the written report included in the quoted fee?
• Who carries out the assessment, and what are their qualifications?
• Is a follow-up appointment included?
• Do you offer titration, and what does that cost per month?
• Will you write to my GP to request shared care?

What happens after diagnosis

If you are diagnosed and decide to try medication, the next stage is titration: starting at a low dose and adjusting it over several weeks, with monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate, sleep and appetite, until the dose is right for you. This normally takes a few months.

Once you are stable, the private provider will usually ask your GP to enter a shared care agreement, where the GP takes over prescribing at NHS cost. Shared care is voluntary. Some practices decline it, particularly for private diagnoses or where the local ICB has issued guidance against it, and some have paused it because of medication supply problems. If shared care is refused you would keep paying the private provider for prescriptions, which can run to a meaningful monthly cost. Ask your GP surgery about their shared care policy before you commit to a private route.

Medication is not the only option. Practical support, coaching, workplace adjustments and study support all help, with or without a prescription.

Which route is right for you?

Five quick questions about your circumstances. It asks nothing about symptoms and gives no opinion on whether you have ADHD; it only suggests which route tends to fit situations like yours.

Frequently asked questions

Waiting for an assessment does not mean waiting to get support. See non-clinical 1-to-1 ADHD coaching or read our UK ADHD articles.