Frequently Asked Questions
You are only able to book a diagnostic assessment for ADHD. This means that you may or may not receive a diagnosis, depending on whether you meet the diagnostic criteria in the opinion of the clinician, based on the information provided prior to, and during the appointment. Regardless of the outcome, you will be provided with a care plan that addresses the needs identified during your assessment. In the event that the outcome of the assessment is not what you wanted, the appointment fee is still payable.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management [NG87] advises the following about diagnosis of ADHD: 'A diagnosis of ADHD should only be made by a specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician or other appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD'.
Our clinicians have completed further training to assess and/or treat ADHD in adults and/or children and young people, in addition to previous experience across various NHS mental health services. They all hold a postgraduate qualification, allowing them to prescribe medication independently within a defined scope of practice. They also undergo a rigorous and clinically supported probation period of six months upon joining our service. Prior to assessing and treating ADHD, we ensure that clinicians have the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to work independently and manage your care to a high standard.
With the qualifications and experience described above, all our clinicians are 'appropriately qualified healthcare professionals with training and expertise in the diagnosis (or treatment) of ADHD'.
Our clinicians are qualified pharmacists who are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council.
Our assessments are completed in line with the standards listed in the NICE guideline for the diagnosis and management of ADHD. Our reports are completed in line with the recommendations made by the UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN) and the ADHD Assessment Quality Assurance Standard for Children and Teenagers (CAAQAS).
We review the registration forms and assessment reports for all patients who get in touch with the service to confirm if we are the right service for them. This means that sometimes we will not be able to offer an appointment if we think you would benefit from a level of care that we are not able to provide. We decide this on a case-by-case basis based on your history and current circumstances. We may advise that a different service is more appropriate if you or your child have multiple mental health or physical co-morbidities, a genetic condition (such as Down syndrome), foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), forensic history (involvement with the justice system), etc.
No, we are unable to accept Right to Choose referrals.
No, all patients 18 or over can self-refer for an assessment. Children and young people between the ages of 6 and 18 will need to be referred by a parent or carer.
In order for ADHD to be diagnosed in adults and children, we need to evidence that symptoms of the condition were present in childhood (before age 12). Depending on how well you remember your childhood and any supplementary information you are able to provide (such as school reports), history from a parent or carer may not be required. If there is diagnostic uncertainty after your assessment and there is no one the clinician can discuss your childhood with in greater detail, they will discuss your assessment within our clinical supervision meeting to appraise whether enough evidence has been provided before making a diagnosis.
QbCheck test results need to be considered alongside other diagnostic criteria in order to provide a meaningful diagnostic tool. We therefore do not offer QbCheck tests on their own.
ADHD medications are designated as ‘specialist’ in the UK, which means that they need to be started, titrated, and overseen by a specialist. Therefore, GPs are not usually able to start these in primary care.
It typically takes between three to four months to titrate the treatment to the correct dose once it has been initiated. If multiple medications need to be trialled, this period will be extended. Once the medication is stable (i.e. at the right dose to manage your symptoms and not causing unacceptable side effects), a request can be made to your GP to start prescribing medication for you under what is known as a Shared Care Agreement. Note that each surgery has their own policy on whether to accept shared care agreements from private providers. You are advised to confirm if your GP surgery is happy to accept Shared Care requests from a private specialist independent prescriber before booking an appointment.
Under the conditions of a Shared Care Agreement, your GP will only prescribe your medication at the dose and frequency specified by your specialist and check your physical observations at the correct intervals. You will need to remain under the care of a specialist for anything else (e.g. dose changes) and will need to see them every 6-12 months to ensure that the medication is still effective and no intolerable side effects have developed. These reviews will need to continue for as long as you remain on ADHD medication. Your GP may refuse to continue prescribing your ADHD medicines if you don’t attend these reviews.
Approximately £1400-1600 for most people who are assessed and stabilised on the first medication that is trialled. Note this does not include the cost of the medication, which is payable to the dispensing pharmacy. See ‘What is the cost of ADHD medication on private prescriptions?’ below for more information.
All medication is provided on a private prescription. This can either be done electronically for non-stimulant medicines, or on a paper form for stimulant medication. Electronic prescriptions can be sent via email to a pharmacy of your choosing. Paper prescriptions need to be posted and received by the dispensing pharmacy before any medication is supplied. Prescriptions are usually delivered on the next working day.
We use several pharmacies as our pharmacy partners to ensure the safe and timely dispensing and delivery of medication. Once your prescription is written and sent to them, they will contact you to arrange payment. Delivery will then follow once payment has been made and the original prescription has been received by the pharmacy. If you would prefer to use a different pharmacy to the ones we use, you can either collect your prescription from our office in person or we can post this to your chosen site (we will charge an admin fee for this).
All prescriptions issued do not include the cost of the medication or dispensing fee which is arranged by the dispensing pharmacy. The cost and availability of different medicines may vary due to intermittent shortages. On average, medication can cost between £100 and £120 per month.
Any appointment fees will need to be paid directly to us by the patient or parent. If you have private medical insurance and your insurer is willing to cover the assessment/treatment of your ADHD, you can then claim the cost of the appointment back via their usual process.