ADHD Assessment Waiting Times in England
There is no single national ADHD waiting time. NHS England recorded up to 803,658 open referrals that may be for an ADHD assessment in March 2026. That is a count of open referrals, not a measured waiting time.
Reported waits vary widely between areas, and some services may not currently be accepting new referrals. How long you wait depends largely on the NHS area your GP is in.
An Integrated Care Board, or ICB, is the NHS body responsible for planning and funding services in your area. That is why the wait-time checker below asks for your postcode.
Check the ADHD Wait in Your Area
Enter an English postcode to identify your Integrated Care Board, see Harley Street Mental Health’s current Right to Choose information for your area, and check whether any local funding restrictions apply.
Your postcode is sent to postcodes.io to identify your NHS area. It is not stored on our servers, although the tool currently remembers your last postcode in your browser.
How Long is NHS Wait for an ADHD Assessment?
There is currently no single official national ADHD waiting-time figure. NHS England publishes information about open referrals, but those figures are not the same as a measured waiting list.
1-5
Years of wait
Varies drastically by local NHS Trust.
400%
Increase in Referrals
Recorded since 2020 nationwide
1.9m
Adults Estimated
Living with undiagnosed ADHD in UK.
12-24
Weeks via Right to Choose
Significantly faster alternative route.
Historical ADHD data also shows how much waiting times can vary. ADHD UK's October 2023 report found adult waits ranging from 12 weeks in some services to more than ten years in others.
Why Is There No Official ADHD Waiting Time?
Unlike some other NHS pathways, ADHD currently has no single national waiting-time standard or routinely published national waiting-time measure.
NHS England now publishes ADHD management information, but this counts referrals that may relate to ADHD rather than measuring exactly how long each patient has been waiting.
That means a single UK-wide figure can be misleading. Your own NHS service’s published information, where available, is more useful for understanding your likely wait.
NHS, Right to Choose and Private: Compare Your Options
Three routes to an ADHD assessment in England.
Local NHS
Funding/Cost
NHS-funded / No cost
Referral
GP referral required
Provider choice
Local service
Assessment wait
Varies by area
Medication wait
Varies by area
Delivery
Depends on service
Right to Choose
Funding/Cost
NHS-funded
Referral
[CONFIRM]
Provider choice
Eligible RTC provider
Assessment wait
Provider-specific
Medication wait
Provider-specific
Delivery
Varies by provider
Private
Funding/Cost
Self-funded
Referral
Not usually required
Provider choice
Direct choice
Assessment wait
Check availability
Medication wait
Check availability
Delivery
Virtual or in-person
How Long You Wait With Harley Street Mental Health
01.
Referral Acknowledged
Within 1 working day
02.
First Contact
Approximately 10 working days for ADHD
03.
Pre-Assessment Pack
Timing to be confirmed
04.
Assessment and Report
Approximately 40 working days
05.
Written Report
ADHD: usually within 10 working days after assessment.
06.
Feedback Appointment
Timing to be confirmed
07.
Medication Titration
Timing to be confirmed where appropriate
How long does the assessment take?
01
The Assessment Appointment
An adult ADHD assessment takes approximately 1.5 hours.
02
Your Written Report
Private report turnaround is still awaiting confirmation.
03
Medication Titration
If ADHD is diagnosed and medication is appropriate, titration may follow.
What You Can Do While You Wait
Ask your GP which service received your referral, then contact that service to check whether your referral has been accepted and whether the service is currently taking new referrals.
If your local ADHD service is not taking new referrals, speak to your GP about the alternatives available in your area.
If you are already on an NHS waiting list, ask your GP whether another referral is possible and what would happen to your existing place.
Local duplicate-referral rules can vary.
ADHD medication should follow an appropriate diagnostic assessment.
If you are offered medication without understanding what assessment has taken place, speak to your GP before starting it.
You may be able to request reasonable adjustments at work or in education while you wait.
Your GP remains important both during the referral process and when discussing treatment or prescribing later.
If you are struggling while you wait, speak to your GP or contact NHS 111.
In an emergency, call 999.
Before Choosing Private Care
What Does Each Route Cost?
Both the local NHS pathway and Right to Choose are NHS-funded, so there is no private assessment fee.
Will My GP Accept a Private ADHD Diagnosis?
There is no guarantee that a GP or NHS service will automatically accept a private diagnosis for ongoing care
Will My GP Take Over Prescribing?
Shared care is voluntary and is agreed between your GP and specialist. Your GP is not required to accept it.
Check your wait time
Enter your postcode below to see the current estimated waiting times for Harley Street Mental Health services in your area.
Wait times shown from completion of all required forms. Medication from positive diagnosis.
Private assessments are self-funded and not dependent on your ICB.
About the postcode box: your postcode goes to postcodes.io, an outside lookup service, so the tool can work out which ICB covers your area. It is not sent to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, our team is here to help. Contact us for personalized guidance.
Not necessarily. Shared care is voluntary and your GP is not required to accept a shared care agreement following a private ADHD diagnosis. It is worth asking your GP about their policy before booking privately, particularly if you expect NHS prescribing to take over later. If shared care is declined, ongoing specialist prescribing may involve additional private costs.
For an NHS Right to Choose ADHD assessment, the report is usually issued within 10 working days after the assessment. For the West Yorkshire adult autism pathway, the stated timeframe is approximately 7–10 working days after the final appointment.
ADHD assessment services are commissioned locally and there is no single national ADHD waiting-time standard. Funding, provider capacity, local commissioning decisions and demand can therefore differ substantially between NHS areas. NHS England also recorded an increase in new referrals in March 2026 compared with the previous year.
Yes, in many parts of England. Right to Choose is NHS-funded, so there is no private assessment fee, but you need a GP referral and cannot self-refer through this route. Availability can be affected by local funding arrangements, so check the current position for your NHS area before requesting a referral.
Paying privately will usually provide access to HSMH’s private appointment availability rather than your local NHS service’s queue. It does not automatically change or remove your position on an existing NHS waiting list. If you intend to remain on an NHS list as well, discuss this with your GP because local rules on duplicate referrals vary.
Often, yes, but the decision rests with your GP. GP practices follow their local Integrated Care Board rules regarding duplicate referrals and moving between waiting lists. Ask your GP what would happen to your existing waiting-list position before making another referral.
For the NHS pathway, HSMH states that it aims to acknowledge a referral within 1 working day, make initial contact within approximately 10 working days for ADHD, and complete the assessment and report within approximately 40 working days, where capacity allows. These are service standards rather than guaranteed times. For private assessments, contact HSMH for the earliest available appointment.
There is no published national ADHD waiting time. NHS England recorded up to 803,658 open referrals in England that may have related to an ADHD assessment as of March 2026. This is a count of open referrals, not a validated waiting list, and waiting times vary significantly by area.
What makes you different to other clinics?
We hand pick all of our clinicians to ensure that they have the same values as us.
This ensures that our service users are actually listened to and are the heart of our treatment plans.
We recognise that diagnosis and treatment plans cannot simply be “one size fits all” and our personalised down to earth approach aims to keep the process as easy as possible.
We will try to keep your costs low where possible. Once you are on the right dose and feeling settled (you may need one or two medication titration appointments to achieve this), you can order your medication through the repeat medication process.
Following two months of being on the same dose, with no further changes, we will consider returning your care to your GP.
Can I see you on the NHS?
We are a private clinic, and therefore you cannot be seen by us as part of the NHS. <br><br>We can write to your GP once you are stable on your treatment to ask them to take over prescribing as part of a Shared Care Agreement, however they are under no obligation to accept this agreement.
Do I need a referral?
Our clinicians can see you directly without a referral, however a condition of all appointments is that you agree for Harley Street Mental Health to copy your GP into all assessment and treatment plans.
We are happy to accept referrals from other clinicians, however this is not necessary to use our service.
What happens during an appointment?
If you have booked a virtual appointment, you will be sent an invitation through our clinic software known as “Semble”. On the day of your appointment, you click the link and will enter into a video interview with one of our clinicians.
If you have booked an in-person appointment you will be greeted by your clinician in the waiting room.
Do you accept insurance?
Currently we do not accept insurance, and all of our assessments and treatment plans are self funded, and therefore we encourage you to look at the “fees” page prior to booking.
Do you prescribe medication?
Our team are able to prescribe medication as part of your treatment plan if this is required. Our prescriptions are private, and therefore you will be liable for the cost of the prescription and the medication.
Hod do I know if the treatment will be beneficial?
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees with psychiatry. All of our clinicians are extremely experienced and prescribe based on the most up to date evidence base. You will be involved in your treatment plans at all stages.
I have a complaint?
We are sorry to hear that you have a complaint. Please see the complaints section of our website or email complaints@hsmh.co.uk where we will endeavour to resolve your complaint in a timely manner.
What are the fees associated with ADHD Assessments?
Please see the fees section on the website. It is important that you are aware of all costs prior to starting treatment. An ADHD assessment costs £715 and lasts approximately 1.5 hours and will include a detailed written report and treatment plan (includes a prescription which will posted to your chosen pharmacy, if medication is considered suitable for you).
The cost of medication will be in addition to this and paid directly to your chosen pharmacy.
We then require service users to attend titration appointments at £150 each where your medication is adjusted until most effective. Once you move on to repeat prescriptions, they will cost £48 for a monthly prescription.
Once you are stable on your medication (around two months of being on the same dose, with no further changes and you feel much better) you can ask us to write to your GP and enter into a shared care agreement which costs £125. Your GP is under no obligation to accept a shared care agreement, and therefore we encourage all service users to discuss this with their GP prior to using our service.
Are you registered with the CQC?
Yes, we have been approved for registration with the Care Quality Commission
I have another question
Please email us on contact@hsmh.co.uk and we will get back to you shortly