How much does private ADHD assessment cost, and what are the waiting times?

In the past decade, the number of people seeking information about ADHD assessment for themselves or their children has risen sharply, with historic Google search data illustrating the explosion in interest. 

Pre-COVID-19, Google search activity in the UK for the term “ADHD assessment” was steadily increasing, but the pandemic triggered an acceleration of interest, which continued well after restrictions were lifted.

According to Google Keyword Planner, at the peak of interest in April 2024, there were in the region of 12,000 searches for the term "ADHD assessment." However, if you combine that with variations of the same thing, "ADHD testing" or "ADHD diagnosis," for example, the number of searches was closer to 100,000, showing the scale of demand.

There's likely not a single factor that's caused the increase in people seeking ADHD assessment, but more a combination, including:

• Increased public awareness of neurodivergent conditions
• The "unmasking" of symptoms due to lockdowns, school closures and working from home
• The vocal work of charities to build awareness
• Social media users highlighting their experience with ADHD

Richard Low, a certified Advanced ADHD coach of ADHDcoaching.org, adds:

"Before the pandemic, many employed adults were office-based. During and post-pandemic, there were significant structural changes in how companies and their employees go about their daily work. 'Work from Home' was introduced, and while this was welcomed by many, those with ADHD often found this change difficult to cope with – lack of a daily routine, personal connection, and a sense of accountability exacerbated ADHD symptoms that may not have been entirely apparent before."

Whatever the cause, one thing is for certain: awareness and demand for assessment have rocketed in the past few years, leading to extremely long waiting times in the NHS.

There is currently no national data on referrals or waiting times for ADHD assessments. While there is some data on autism, it’s labelled as experimental by the NHS and doesn’t include all diagnosis routes.

The lack of NHS ADHD waiting time data led The Petitions Committee to run an online survey in early 2023, asking people about their experiences with ADHD and autism assessments.

Of the respondents who were waiting for an NHS ADHD assessment:

• 27% had been waiting between 1 and 6 months
• 26% had been waiting between 6 months to 1 year
• 24% had been waiting between 1 and 2 years and
• 10% had been waiting between 2 and 3 years

The survey also found that most people who had received an assessment via the NHS had to wait over a year. Indeed, most of those (48%) surveyed and given a diagnosis had received it privately, with only 35% being diagnosed via the NHS.

The BBC shines a light on long NHS waits.

In July 2024, the BBC published an article claiming that waiting list backlogs in many areas of the UK were so long that it would take eight years to clear them.

As part of the BBC’s research, they submitted Freedom of Information requests to NHS trusts and health boards to find out how large the waiting lists were across the country, with 44 out of 66 responding.

The BBC found that 177,404 people were waiting for ADHD assessments, with just 21,011 assessments carried out in 2023.

So, somewhat inevitably, people are looking at the private sector for faster assessment and treatment.

In June 2024, myTribe researchers contacted 401 private ADHD clinics across the UK, asking what they charge for assessment and follow-up consultations.

The importance of knowing the cost of treatment alongside assessment

While there's no certainty that you or your child will be diagnosed with ADHD, considering the cost of private treatment alongside that of assessment is essential as, in most cases, if you're diagnosed privately, you'll need to at least start treatment in the private sector before you can look at going back to the NHS. In fact, some people find it difficult to return to the NHS and, therefore, have little choice but to continue paying for private treatment (read more about this later in this article by clicking here).

Treatment options for ADHD

The NHS lists numerous treatment options for people with ADHD and states that a combination of medicine and therapy is usually best. These are the most common treatment options according to the NHS:

1. Medicine that helps people concentrate better, be calmer and less impulsive.
2. Therapy such as psychoeducation, behaviour therapy, CBT and coaching.
3. Eating a healthy and balanced diet and considering taking supplements.

What happens when you are diagnosed and recommended to start ADHD medicine?

If your psychiatrist recommends and you agree to start a course of ADHD medicines, in most cases, you'll need to titrate under their care before you can look at going back to your NHS GP under a Shared Care Agreement.

myTribe Jargon Buster

Titrate

The process of finding the correct dosage of medicine through careful monitoring and regular follow-up consultations.

Shared Care Agreement

An agreement between you, your GP and psychiatrist that enables prescribing and monitoring to be shared.

How long it takes for each person to titrate and find a stable dose differs, but, often it'll be a minimum of three to six months before you can seek a shared care agreement and potentially reduce the cost of on-going medication based treatment. With the average cost of a private follow-up being £173, plus private prescription costs varying from £25-£125 depending on the medicine chosen, you shouldn't be surprised if you spend upwards of £1,000-£1,500 on top of the assessment fee, and that's without considering talking therapies or coaching.

How much does a private ADHD assessment cost and what are typical follow-up fees?

In June 2024, our private healthcare researchers contacted 401 private ADHD clinics across the UK to find the typical cost of a private ADHD assessment and the cost of follow-up consultations if a diagnosis is made.

Overall, we found that the average cost of an ADHD assessment in 2024 was £1,267 (£1,200 for adults and £1,361 for children) and the average cost of a 30-minute follow-up consultation was £173.

Prices varied significantly across the UK, and the table below details the average costs by region of the UK.

myTribe Analysis

Interestingly, London isn't the most expensive place for an ADHD assessment with six other regions being more costly. However, follow-up consultations in the capital are just over 20% higher than the national average, which means psychiatrists in London will turn out to be more expensive if you are diagnosed and have several additional appointments.

East of England was the most expensive place for private assessment, with adults paying on average £1,351 and children (or their parents) paying £1,510.

A surprising finding was that Scotland saw the second-highest fees for adult ADHD assessments, with follow-up consultations above the national average. This is surprising as when we look at other types of private medical treatment, such as surgery and dental costs, Scotland is almost always one of the least expensive regions of the UK. Not so with ADHD.

How to pay for private ADHD assessment

There are a few ways you can potentially pay for private ADHD assessment, as we’ve highlighted below:

1. Right to Choose

Under Right to Choose, you have the legal right to choose the organisation to whom you are referred, as long as that organisation provides services to the NHS and doesn't cost more than it would via the NHS. So, if you can find a private ADHD assessment service that meets those criteria, you may be able to be referred to them, and the NHS should pay the bill.

2. Self-pay

In most cases, those who go private will self-pay for assessment and any required treatment. While the Right to Choose may be an option for some, it can be hard to find organisations that qualify, and therefore, you have little choice but to pay for the services yourself.‍

3. Personal finance

Finally, if neither of the above options is viable, a personal loan could be a way to spread the cost, but please only do this if you are sure that the repayments are affordable.

Other treatment costs to consider

Our pricing research focused on the cost of initial assessment and treatment via medication. However, as we outlined earlier, other treatment options are available, such as therapy and coaching, which can be equally beneficial.

Professional ADHD coach Richard Low said "it's worth mentioning that ADHD medication may be life changing for some, but for others the side effects may outweigh the benefits, and other avenues of support such as ADHD coaching and solution-based therapies may be of help."

Richard suggests that adults with an ADHD diagnosis who are looking for coaching should consider applying to the Government's Access to Work scheme, which can help cover some or all of the cost.

Alongside understanding the cost of private ADHD assessment, many will likely be interested in the waiting times up and down the country. So, as part of our research, we inquired about current waiting times in the private sector, finding that the nationwide average was just 43 days.

The interactive graphic below shows the average waiting time for private assessment broken into regions of the UK.

Scotland had the most extended waiting times, with people typically needing to wait 71 days on average, with the East Midlands not far behind on 61 days.

Waiting times were shortest in Wales, where, on average, people only needed to wait 25 days to be assessed.

Is supply and demand leading to higher assessment costs in Scotland?

The BBC's researchers received four responses from NHS trusts and health boards in Scotland, but, they found those organisations had a waiting list of 4664 people, with just 474 people being assessed in 2023.

Based on those figures, if the assessment rate stays the same, it would take 9.8 years to clear the backlog of cases.

As you can see from our figures, waiting times for private assessment are the longest in Scotland, and assessment costs are also the second highest in the UK, suggesting that demand for private services is such that providers are pushing prices up.

There are undoubtedly benefits to private psychiatrists helping those looking for assessment, not least allowing people to get the treatment they need if they have ADHD, but, it's not without risks.

While the upfront cost of assessment, with the need for follow-up consultations, private prescriptions and potentially therapy if diagnosed, can be costly, many believe that once they complete titration, they can return to the NHS, which can be challenging if their GP refuses a shared care agreement.

A survey by ADHD UK in April 2024 found GP practices in Wales were most frequently refusing a shared care agreement, with just 19% being accepted. That's in comparison to 29% being accepted in Scotland, 38% in Northern Ireland and 58% in England.

What happens if a shared care agreement is refused?

NHS GPs are entitled to refuse a shared care agreement if they are not happy with the burden of responsibility it imposes or feel they lack the clinical experience needed to enter into it.

If this happens, the patient with ADHD is faced with continuing to pay for private prescriptions and the associated psychiatrist fees to write the prescriptions (usually around £40 a time) or try to get a referral to the local NHS ADHD service if there is one.

The charity ADHDAdultUK has published recommendations of what to do if your shared care agreement is refused, which we've summarised below:

• Meet your GP and explain how not having medicine will impact your life.
• If your GP is unwilling to accept your diagnosis, you can ask if they will refer you through the NHS pathway and take on shared care while you are waiting.
• You can try to change your GP if you are having difficulties.

You can read their full recommendations on their website.

You don't need a GP referral to go private, but it's worth speaking to your GP first.

Many people will have gone private, received the diagnosis they have suspected for some time, and then received the treatment they need to live a better life. We're not for a minute saying that those benefits are outweighed by the risks, which are primarily cost-related.

But to best protect yourself from unforeseen costs, start by speaking with your GP, despite not needing a referral to go private. They will give you advice and say whether their practice typically accepts or refuses shared care agreements. If you find they often reject them, you can factor this into your decision-making process from the outset and even consider changing GP surgery sooner rather than later.

More information about the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD can be found on these websites:

• ADHD Aware
• Mind
• NHS
• ADHD Foundation
• ADHDadultUK