ADHD Assessment Process UK - 5 steps 🪜
Here are my tips for the 5 steps you need to take to get assessed for ADHD in the UK.
Prepare to see your GP
Book your GP appointment
Go to your GP appointment
Decide on your assessment options
Get assessed
This image represents the diagnosis process.
Preparing to see your GP
Before going to your GP think about why you think you have ADHD and how it affects multiple areas of your life.. Look at the diagnosis criteria and think about examples in your life. I found it helpful to write down a list and this helped me to be more confident about speaking to a doctor.
Think about what the signs are that led you to believe you have ADHD?
Signs in childhood and at school (talk too much in class always late etc.), this is important because ADHD must have been present for your whole life.
How it affects you at work - for me this looks like procrastinating, poor attention to detail, lateness etc.
How it affects you at home/in relationships in general - bad at house work, lateness messy etc.
If you are scared about talking to your GP (I was TERRIFIED), then you can even email them the list or print it out.
Then take an ASRS assessment to see what your score is and share that with your GP too.
2. Booking your GP appointment
“Booking the GP appointment can feel really scary, this took me two months because I was putting it off. ”
Tips for booking a GP appointment:
Ask a friend if they can sit with you while you book the appointment or remind you to do it until you do.
Call your GP before you do anything else with your day, before you put it off.
Tell someone you will book it and ask them to follow up with you until you do.
Set a daily alarm and set it every day until you book the appointment.
Put visual reminders around like postits so you don’t forget to book it.
See if you can email your surgery asking to book an appointment, saying you are struggling to do so because you think you have ADHD (not sure this works but could be worth a try).
Book it
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Book it 〰️
3. Going to your GP appointment
GP appointments are quick - normally less than 10 minutes so prepare what you need to say.
Why you think you have ADHD, (hopefully prepared earlier).
ASRS score as evidence this is something your GP may recognise.
Ask for a referral for assessment this can be through the NHS or private.
4. Decide on your assessment options
ADHD UK have written about the assessment options here and I’ve summarised the options below.
The NHS - ask your GP what the waitlists are for assessment in your area these can be very long.
Right-to-choose - the NHS can pay for private assessments and there’s more details here on the ADHD UK website. Waitlists can be as little as six months.
Private assessments - I went with Clinical Partners who were really good and are recognised by NHS. Private assessments can happen in a matter of weeks but its important to discuss costs up front, especially for medication.
Things to be aware of when getting a private assessment:
If you think that you want to be prescribed medication then ask if titration is included in assessment costs and how much it is.
Ask your GP if they’ve done shared care agreements, and if they have any preferred private clinics - clinical partners work with NHS trusts which is why I chose them.
Ask if your private provider will give you a detailed report to give to your GP.
Medication can be really expensive if you have to pay for it privately - like £300/month.
5. The assessment
The assessment will consist of background questions, and an interview. I will write on this separately another time but for now here’s a video where I talk about my experience.
Thanks for getting this far! Please contact me if you have any questions charlotte@adhdclub.co.uk
Further reading:
NHS website on ADHD Diagnosis
ADHD UK information on how to get diagnosed https://adhduk.co.uk/diagnosis-pathways/
Why get a diagnosis?
I talk about that here:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLwWw9W6/?k=1
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLwW7N1B/?k=1
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLwWWTQE/?k=1
