Where to get an Adult ADHD Assessment?

Can anyone recommend where to get a private ADHD assessment as an adult? Broadly there seem to be two options, with a Psychiatrist or with a Clinical Nurse Specialist, the latter being a cheaper option. An example of the latter is https://adhddirect.co.uk/

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That’s who your GP would likely refer you to.

12month + backlog for referrals but you can go direct and be seen faster. Worth speaking to your GP to find out where things would stand with any prescription you may be given.

Worth speaking to your GP to find out where things would stand with any prescription you may be given.

Will the choice of assessor make any difference if I go private? Assumed I’m stuck with whatever the local health board policy is?

Why private>  what do you want to get out of this?  If its just personal understanding then private will make little difference but if it is to access services will a private diagnosis get you this?  check carefully

Why private>

NHS waiting list for adults is many years long (varies by region/provider obviously).

what do you want to get out of this? If its just personal understanding then private will make little difference but if it is to access services will a private diagnosis get you this? check carefully

That’s bit of broad statement that it would make little difference. It would provide understanding and “quantify” the issues. This then means I can focus on solutions that are likely to work. There is also the possibility it could be something else entirely, and again this leads onto different solutions.

I agree I should consider what an assessment will allow access to though. From what I’ve read, by far the most effective solution to ADHD is stimulant drugs.

That’s bit of broad statement that it would make little difference.

I meant if private or NHS will make little difference.  apologies if not clear.  Of course either will give you the personal understanding

I agree I should consider what an assessment will allow access to though.

My understanding from prelim info that I have had is that private doctors (psychiatrists specifically) can prescribe whatever they want with greater flexibility than NHS GPs…but it might be up to you to work out how to pay for it, as NHS won’t necessarily accept a private prescription. There seems to be a suggestion that an NHS GP might endorse? reissue? a private prescription made on the basis of a private assessessment, but I don’t know if I have understood this correctly.

I’m still waiting for my assessment request to be processed by my insurance company so I don’t know if this is going to be a problem in reality.

@tjagain

No worries, I see what you mean. I need to talk to my GP and see about shared care. Actually talking to my GP is a task in itself, constantly get texts from the them asking not to call them unless it’s an emergency. My query is one that could be dealt with by email, accept they don’t do email.

My son had one, it was £1500, his Rx was £62. He will book in with GP to get an NHS Rx hopefully. We’ve all known he has it, and pretty sure I do too, but he’s off to Uni and needs help, techniques and whatever to help him focus.

https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/for-adults/adult-adhd-add

We haven’t used these specifically for ADHD, but have for other issues in our family, with shared care via GP. Everyone we have seen has been a NHS consultant in their day job, and have been excellent. We have medical insurance which has mostly covered our costs, but couldn’t say if autism or ADHD assessments would be.

My brother went private and got diagnosed with it. He took ritalin for a while and said it was amazing for his concentration etc.

He had to pay for the ritalin and iirc his GP was not interested in helping with the process in any way.

Have got a friend who received an adult adhd diagnosis recently using the ‘Right to Choose’ through their GP… as I understand it, it basically means that you request an assessment but then get to choose who does the assessment.

This page https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose/ has lots of information about it.

I went through my GP using Patient Choice/Right to Choose and had both autism and ADHD assessments with Psychiatry-UK. I would highly recommend them, and with ADHD they stay involved for at least a year for any medication tritiation etc. I have a template letter if you wanted to use it. BTW I work in SEND Commissioning before anyone jumps on my back about short cutting waiting lists etc

Thanks, I’ll look into Right to Choose. I’m in Scotland though if that makes any difference

Grown up daughters gp was happy to take on her prescribing after a private diagnosis

It may do, basically Right to Choose/Patient Choice means that you articulate your request for an assessment through your GP for said area of need. This then gets passed into the Integrated Care Board (previously Clinical Commissioning Group) and will then be approved or not. It requires your GP being on board with the whole thing. The criteria is essentially where there are existing conditions which have not been assessed due to delays in assessment pathways, or new episodes of care. So that may be where your GP is aware of an undiagnosed condition, but due to delays in access to assessment and support the symptoms are harder to live with. You can then get referred to any provider that has worked with people with similar needs either currently or historically and have been commissioned to do so by any health authority. But some providers, like the National Autistic Society are not taking Patient Choice referrals right now, and others like Psychiatry-UK now have a waiting list similar to the general referral pathway. Like I said happy to jump on a call to talk through it further or share my template letter. In terms of impact, I have life-long adverse mental health due to undiagnosed neurodivergence, my diagnoses have lifted an unfathomable burden and now I am learning to live again. I am still waiting for medication, but am still benefiting from knowing. My advice, if you want to know, are experiencing difficulties in everyday life then do it…

Personally I spoke to my GP who was pretty uninterested, read some generic questions off a list over the phone but did agree to put me on a local waiting list. I’ve been waiting about six months now but I’m prepared for it to take much longer. I thought about going private but was worried the NHS might not be willing to take on any ongoing treatment needs so accepted the longer wait for some peace of mind.

It is massively under diagnosed in my opinion I suspect because of parents not wanting to put a label on their child at a young age, or never being diagnosed themself so assuming their coping strategies would naturally pass to their children.

Look online for a Wender Utah assessment – it’ll give you an idea if you meet the criteria for assessment – you basically have to score over 46 points on the assessment to suggest you require referral. If you meet this your GP will refer you. The current waiting list in our area – North Yorkshire is (gulp) 3 years…..

Look online for a Wender Utah assessment – it’ll give you an idea if you meet the criteria for assessment

Crikey I scored myself at 71 on that there…

I’ve just been diagnosed via psychiatry-uk. They were really good and I’ve just finished medication titration. My gp will continue to issue my medication via a shared care agreement.
Because you can get a tolerance to meds over time I try and keep as low a dose as possible and have the odd day off.
Without a doubt medication has been life changing and having a diagnosis has helped me come to terms with things that I now know are due to adhd.
I’m happy to answer any questions.

How do they actually conduct the assessment for the diagnosis?

How do they actually conduct the assessment for the diagnosis?

Broadly, they will look for evidence of it during childhood. You don’t develop it as an adult, it’s a continuation from childhood.

Personally I spoke to my GP who was pretty uninterested, read some generic questions off a list over the phone but did agree to put me on a local waiting list.

A GP can do very little without a diagnosis. The questions they asked may have been from the Adult Self Report Scale screening tool. There are 6 questions, a score of 4 or more is 80% accurate in predicting ADHD in adult subjects.

https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/1730/adult-self-report-scale-asrs-adhd

Broadly, they will look for evidence of it during childhood. You don’t develop it as an adult, it’s a continuation from childhood.

Thanks, good thing I have a decently good memory of nursery and school, not sure I have much in the way of ‘report cards’ and the like.

65 for me.
Not surprised, failed every exam i ever sat, was far more interested in what was going on out the window.
Few friends, lashing out at siblings, angry and bitter with alot of pent up frustration.

From what I’ve seen the costs vary a lot!

Psychiatry-UK is initially only £360
Clinical Partners is initially £895
ADHD Direct is £1095
Psychiatrists local to me are £1800

My initial assessment was a few initial questionnaires then an hour interview. As people have mentioned there needs to be evidence of symptoms in childhood but that can just be you talking through things didn’t need any report cards.

@seb84 did they also take information from someone who knew you at school age, parent, sibling?

I’ve been reading “Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder” by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey. They say getting information from people who knew you when you were younger was needed as those with ADHD are notoriously bad at self-reporting.

Bit of progress, I have PMI with Bupa from my employer and Bupa will cover an assessment. They had originally said it wasn’t covered (hence this post), but then I found a local psychiatrist who’s website said they worked for Bupa…. called Bupa back and they said the first advisor was completely wrong. Second advisor was great.

@dmorts no, they spoke to my wife who’s known me for 8 years. I think they would like to speak to someone from your childhood but they didn’t mind that I couldn’t arrange that. The pre assessment questions have stuff about childhood to fill in and I put as much stuff in as I could.

I spotted this in the TV schedules for next week (Panorama “False Diagnosis: The ADHD Scandal”, Mon 20.00 BBC1). Expect it’ll be the usual sensationalist Panorama fodder these days rather than any sort of proper old school factual investigative journalism, but perhaps of interest to some on the thread.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001m0f9

My adult son is on the waiting list, but ehilst it will help in the work environment (he’s very good at anything, but lacks concentration), his biggest issue is getting up and out in the morning which isn’t ADHD. Its the staying up stupid late an a work night.

That’s the bit that drives us crazy as its been a direct reason he’s lost a few jobs. Regularly late and no real excuse.

I spotted this in the TV schedules for next week (Panorama “False Diagnosis: The ADHD Scandal”, Mon 20.00 BBC1). Expect it’ll be the usual sensationalist Panorama fodder these days rather than any sort of proper old school factual investigative journalism, but perhaps of interest to some on the thread.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001m0f9

The quality of the journalism aside, the subject of the program is likely a valid one. There are a lot of companies touting ADHD assessment, and quite obviously matching each other’s price. Self-referrals are permissible too.

But, it is acknowledged there are likely to be a huge number of adults with ADHD who are undiagnosed. If you’re prescribed drugs or therapy and this helps with the issues you’re having…. is there not some validity there? ADHD was only really recognised as a condition in the UK in 2000. Adult onset ADHD does not exist, or at least that’s the current thinking. Perhaps there is an emerging condition yet to be fully understood.

Had a bit of interesting time with Sudafed (the proper stuff with pseudoephedrine) last night and today. Taking it because of a heavy cold the kids brought home from nursery. Not only has it relieved congestion it seems to have a distinctly positive effect on my mood and concentration levels. I definitely felt it wear off around lunchtime, so took another (4-6 hours is the dosage period). Pseudoephedrine increases the release of serotonin and dopamine. Lower levels of dopamine are a factor in ADHD, but also can be associated with other things, e.g. depression.

I’m certainly not planning to self-medicate with Sudafed and I strongly discourage anyone else doing so either. It can have long term side effects. Does taking Pseudoephedrine and then being able to concentrate better mean you have ADHD? No, I don’t think so at all. Hence I plan to approach this with an open mind, with ADHD just being one possibility.

It is indicative i would say – tho its not really my area of knowledge.  I don’t know what the actual action is but ADHD is often treated with stimulents which have positive effect on folk with ADHD

I got diagnosed 16 months ago at the age of 58 after a 2 hr video assessment . I had mentioned it a few years earlier to my GP after hearing a radio program about the condition and recognising that I myself ticked all the boxes behaviour wise.  Without me being aware she had inquired about a referral and I was asked to write to them and explain why I suspected that I met the criteria . After that I received a letter stating they thought it worthwhile I should undertake the assessment but it might be a couple of years before they could offer such an appointment . I had almost forgotten about it all when for some reason I became reminded that I had heard nothing for an awful long time so got back in touch , chased them up and it finally all came together . At no time did I have to provide any third party references re my behaviour ..in fact no real proof of anything was given but fortunately I got the diagnosis accompanied with a  methylphenidate  RX which has most definitely helped in many ways  and tbh the last year has perhaps been my best (in relation to concentration ) in almost 6 decades of life ..with very few downsides . I have lived a chaotic life for much of my existence and despite being given an excellent education I could never make anything of it and perhaps now I finally have a little better understanding of what had been going on and why ….which goes a tiny way to forgiving myself for being unable to achieve and only being interested in escaping it all from an early age .

@kaiser superb to hear you finally got answers and a way forward.

On thing that worries me is that the validity of assessments may come under scrutiny at some point. People then have medication withdrawn until they can have a “proper” assessment…. with the NHS waiting lists longer and the prices even higher in the private sector.

People then have medication withdrawn until they can have a “proper” assessment…

Has that actually happened before, tho?

I don’t actually know and my suggestion does seem a bit extreme in hindsight.

I am aware of someone emmigrating to the UK and not having assessments done in another country recognised here, then found apparently not to have ADHD on their initial UK NHS assessment. So assessments are challenged.

If assessments became stricter might people have issues if they need to change medication, or move GP practice and they’re on shared care?