This guide covers how private ADHD assessments are commonly organised in the UK, what to ask before you pay, and how the NHS route and Right to Choose work in England. It does not say whether you or your child has ADHD, and it does not recommend treatment.
Who carries out an assessment
NICE guideline NG87 states that ADHD should only be diagnosed by a specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician or other appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in diagnosing ADHD. The assessment is clinical. Rating scales and computerised tests can support it; NICE is clear that a diagnosis should not be made solely on rating scales or observational data.
For children and young people, secondary care assessment is typically through a child psychiatrist, paediatrician or specialist ADHD CAMHS service. For adults without a childhood diagnosis, NICE describes referral to a mental health specialist trained in ADHD diagnosis and treatment when specific criteria around history and impairment are met. Those criteria are for clinicians to apply, not for a website to tick off on your behalf.
What the process usually involves
Expect a detailed history covering childhood and current life, symptoms in more than one setting (home, work or school), and other conditions that can look similar or sit alongside ADHD. For children, schools and parents are often asked for structured information. For adults, old school reports or an informant who knew you as a child can help but are not always available; ask the clinic how they handle that.
Ask how many appointments the fee covers, whether the assessment is remote, in person or mixed, and how long a written report takes. Ask who signs the report and what their registration is (GMC for doctors; HCPC for practitioner psychologists).
Price: what we can and cannot say
This site does not yet publish verified self-pay prices for ADHD assessments. Clinics quote their own packages, and contents differ. We will not invent a typical fee. Ask for a written breakdown covering:
- the assessment appointments themselves
- questionnaires scoring and any computerised testing
- the diagnostic report
- a feedback appointment
- any follow-up that is included, and the cost of follow-up that is not
If medicine is discussed later, that is a separate clinical pathway. We do not promote prescription-only medicines. Prescribing decisions sit with the treating clinicians. Shared-care arrangements with NHS GPs vary by area and by practice; some GPs decline shared care after a private diagnosis. Ask the private service and your NHS GP, before you pay for assessment, what happens if medicine or ongoing monitoring is recommended.
Questions worth asking the clinic
- Does your process follow NICE NG87 for diagnosis (full clinical and psychosocial assessment, developmental and psychiatric history, informant input where possible)?
- Who will I see, and what are their qualifications and registration numbers?
- Will the report be accepted by my NHS GP for shared care in this area, or do you only offer private follow-up?
- What is excluded from the price (further testing, workplace or school letters, titration appointments)?
- Are you CQC-registered in England for the regulated activities you provide?
The NHS route and Right to Choose (England)
On the NHS, your GP (or another authorised referrer) decides whether a referral for assessment is clinically appropriate. Waiting times for local NHS ADHD services vary widely by area; there is no single national ADHD waiting-time statistic equivalent to the DM01 or RTT figures we publish for MRI and orthopaedics.
In England, the NHS patient choice rules commonly described as Right to Choose can allow you to ask for referral to an alternative NHS-commissioned provider for a first outpatient appointment, including some independent providers that hold an NHS contract for the service and age group you need. Practical points that ICBs and NHS trusts emphasise in their public information:
- the GP (or eligible referrer) must make the referral; self-referral does not use Right to Choose
- the provider must be commissioned for the relevant ADHD service and age group
- providers differ on remote versus in-person assessment, exclusion criteria, and whether they offer post-diagnostic support or prescribing
- Right to Choose does not by itself guarantee a shorter wait
Ask your GP what local and Right to Choose options exist for you, and what ongoing support would look like after assessment. Arrangements are set locally and change over time.
Outside England, patient choice rules differ. Check with your GP or health board.
Not medical advice. This guide covers process, cost and how the NHS and private routes are organised. It does not say whether you need a test or treatment. Decisions about your care sit with you and a clinician who knows your history.
Not affiliated with the NHS. The Doctor is an independent publication. It is not part of, or endorsed by, the NHS, the Care Quality Commission or any provider listed. See our full notice.
How we work: methodology. Spotted something wrong? See corrections.
Sources checked for this guide
- NICE guideline NG87, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management: nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87 (checked 9 November 2026)
- NICE NG87 recommendations on identification, referral and diagnosis (specialist diagnosis; not rating scales alone): recommendations chapter (checked 9 November 2026)
- NHS South West London ICB, public explainer on ADHD and autism Right to Choose (GP referral; provider differences; initial assessment focus): southwestlondon.icb.nhs.uk (checked 9 November 2026)
- NHS Thames Valley, Right to Choose FAQs for ADHD assessment services (choice framework conditions): thamesvalley.icb.nhs.uk (checked 9 November 2026)