Before you pay for a private ADHD assessment, find out who will assess you, whether the assessment follows NICE guidance, how the clinic is regulated and what the first year will cost in total. Ask for the answers in writing, and walk away from any clinic that promises a diagnosis or medication in advance.
In short
- Check the assessor on the GMC register (doctors) or NMC register (nurses). NICE says only a specialist or other appropriately qualified professional with ADHD training should diagnose.
- A proper assessment looks at your childhood, uses other people’s views and covers 2 or more settings. A questionnaire alone should never decide.
- In England, a clinic that treats or prescribes needs CQC registration. Diagnosis alone is outside CQC’s scope, and in August 2026 the Ombudsman recommended changing that.
- Ask for the first-year total in writing. No clinic can promise that your GP will take over prescribing.
- Red flags include a guaranteed diagnosis, a very short assessment, pressure to book today, medication promised in advance and no contact with your GP.
How do you check who will assess you?
Ask for the name and registration number of the person who will assess you, and of the person who will prescribe if that’s someone else. Then check the public registers yourself. This guide applies to any clinic, including ours, and you can compare it with how we diagnose ADHD and our fees.
The GMC’s online register shows whether a doctor has a licence to practise, whether they’re on the specialist register, for example in psychiatry, and any conditions on their practice. The NMC register shows whether a nurse is registered and holds a prescribing qualification. The NICE guideline on ADHD (NG87) says a diagnosis should only be made by a specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician or other appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in ADHD. For a child, look for someone who specialises in children and young people.
Does the assessment follow NICE guidance?
NG87 is the standard in England, and Wales follows it. Northern Ireland’s Department of Health endorses NICE guidance, and Scotland uses its own SIGN guidance. In NICE’s approach, a diagnosis rests on:
- a full clinical and psychosocial assessment, with a developmental and psychiatric history
- views from someone who knows you, such as a parent, partner or teacher
- symptoms that meet DSM-5 or ICD-11 criteria, go back to childhood and cause at least moderate problems in 2 or more settings
- a check for other explanations
NICE says a diagnosis should not be made on rating scales or observation alone. Ask how long the appointment is, whether someone who knew you as a child (or your child’s school) will be asked for information, and whether the clinic ever diagnoses from a questionnaire alone. Our guide on what happens in an adult ADHD assessment shows what a thorough one looks like.
Does the clinic need to be regulated?
It depends on what the clinic does and where it’s based. Regulation of private ADHD services is patchy, so ask directly.
| Where the provider is based | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| England (CQC) | Treatment by doctors or nurses, including online prescribing, needs Care Quality Commission registration. CQC’s own guidance says diagnosis of ADHD or autism alone is not treatment and is out of scope. So a diagnosis-only clinic needn’t register, but one that also titrates or prescribes must. |
| Scotland (HIS) | Healthcare Improvement Scotland regulates independent medical agencies, including online ones. Its guidance says a prescribing service whose legal entity is based in England isn’t one. |
| Wales (HIW) | Healthcare Inspectorate Wales covers online private medical services whose provider is based in Wales. An England-based provider isn’t covered. |
| Northern Ireland (RQIA) | RQIA registers independent medical agencies. We found no published guidance on providers based outside Northern Ireland, so ask both the clinic and RQIA. |
Regulation follows where the provider is based, not where you live. In August 2026 the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommended bringing ADHD and autism diagnosis-only providers into CQC registration. Until rules change, the clinician’s own registration matters even more.
You can look up any English provider on the CQC website. Ask what the clinic is registered for. Once the CQC has rated a provider, the rating must be shown on its website.
What’s included, and what will the first year cost?
A low assessment fee can hide a high total. Ask for a written list of everything you’d pay in the first year if you’re diagnosed and decide to try medication:
- the assessment, and what it covers: questionnaires, a report, a letter for your GP
- titration, including whether reviews and prescription fees are inside the price
- prescription fees if your GP doesn’t take over, usually monthly
- follow-ups, the annual review and extra letters
- the medicine itself, which you pay for at the pharmacy
Consumer law now expects advertised prices to include mandatory fees, according to the Competition and Markets Authority. Our guide to private ADHD assessment costs in the UK shows what the market charges, with dates and sources.
What should you ask about titration and prescriptions?
- What does titration include, and how long can it take? NICE sets no fixed length. Ask what happens if it needs longer. Our guide explains what to expect from ADHD titration.
- Will the prescriber ask for your GP records first? The GMC says doctors prescribing remotely must not prescribe controlled drugs without access to your records, unless no one else can prescribe without unsafe delay.
- How will prescriptions reach you? Stimulant ADHD medicines are controlled drugs. In England, the Department of Health and Social Care says private prescriptions for them can’t be sent electronically, so they’re on a paper form. See how private ADHD prescriptions work.
- What checks and reviews follow? NICE says a specialist should review ADHD medication at least once a year.
Can a clinic promise that your GP will take over prescribing?
No. The BMA says shared care is voluntary and a GP practice can decline it for any reason. In September 2025 the primary care minister said GPs “cannot be compelled” to enter shared care agreements. Some practices decline private shared care as a matter of policy. A clinic can ask and send the right information, but it can’t promise the answer.
Ask what happens if your GP says no, what a year of private prescriptions and reviews would cost, and whether the clinic will keep prescribing. Read ADHD shared care agreements, explained and what to do if your GP won’t agree.
Will the clinic accept an existing diagnosis?
Policies differ. Some clinics reassess everyone, and others review your report first. Ask which applies, what documents they need and what a review costs. Our guide on transferring ADHD care or reviewing an older or overseas diagnosis explains what clinicians look for.
How long is the wait, and what are the cancellation terms?
Ask for a date, not “soon”. Check whether the wait is to your first appointment or to your report, because questionnaires and information from other people can add time.
Look for written terms on notice periods, what you pay if you cancel late or miss an appointment, and what happens if you aren’t diagnosed. You also have a legal right to cancel most distance contracts for services within 14 days of booking, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. If you ask the clinic to start within those 14 days, you pay for what has already been provided. A good clinic explains this before you pay.
Can you trust online reviews?
Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has banned fake reviews and misleading ways of showing reviews, such as hiding negative ones or not disclosing that reviewers were rewarded. Genuine reviews still tell you only part of the story. A new clinic may have none, which isn’t a warning sign on its own. Look for dated reviews that show the overall score and total count, and remember that a review can describe how someone felt but can’t show whether a diagnosis was right.
What are the red flags?
- A diagnosis guaranteed before you’ve been assessed, or a “result” from a short online quiz
- A very short assessment, or one that never involves someone who knew you as a child, or school information for a child
- Pressure to book or pay today, such as countdown timers or discounts that vanish
- Medication promised or implied in advance. The advertising rules don’t allow prescription-only medicines to be advertised to the public, and an advert for a consultation mustn’t suggest a prescription is the outcome
- No plan to contact your GP, or an offer to prescribe controlled drugs without your records
- No named clinician, no registration number or no written complaints process
- Prices that change at checkout, or claims such as “best” or “leading” with nothing to back them up
A checklist to take with you
| Ask the clinic | A good answer |
|---|---|
| Who will assess me, and who will prescribe? | Named clinicians with GMC or NMC numbers you can find on the register |
| Do you follow NICE NG87? | A full interview, childhood history, input from others and 2 or more settings |
| Do you ever diagnose from a questionnaire alone? | No |
| What are you registered for? | A clear answer on CQC (or the right regulator) and who regulates the prescriber |
| What will the first year cost in total? | A written breakdown, with the pharmacy’s medicine price shown separately |
| What does titration include? | Number of reviews, prescription fees, monitoring, and cost if it takes longer |
| What if my GP won’t take over? | A plan and cost for private prescribing and reviews, and no promises about your GP |
| Will you accept my existing diagnosis? | A clear process and price for a review |
| What is the wait, and what are the cancellation terms? | A dated wait, written terms and your 14-day right explained |
| Will you contact my GP? | Yes, with your consent, before prescribing |
If you’re considering ADHD Health
Adults are assessed by Dr Helen Carter, Consultant Psychiatrist, and children and young people (6 to 17) by Dr Arjun Mehta, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. See our team for their profiles. Both assessments are 60-minute video appointments after online questionnaires. The report follows within 48 hours for an adult assessment and within 48 hours for a child assessment.
The assessment fee is £289 for adults and £499 for children and young people, and it is the same whatever the outcome. Titration and medication review appointments are £199 each, repeat prescriptions are £60 each, and the medicine itself is paid for at the pharmacy. See our fees for the full list. We can’t promise a diagnosis, medication or that your GP will agree to shared care. Before prescribing, we ask your GP for a summary of your records, and we can’t prescribe if you don’t agree to this.
If you cancel with 72 hours’ notice or more, you can have a full refund or move your appointment free of charge. Our cancellations and refunds policy covers shorter notice and explains your 14-day right. You’re welcome to ask us anything on this checklist before you book, by phone, email or the contact form.
Next step
Not sure where to start?
Our patient care team can explain how things work and help you choose the right service. They do not give clinical advice. We are open 10am to 8pm, 7 days a week.
Common questions
Is a cheaper assessment always lower quality?
Not necessarily, and a higher price doesn’t prove quality either. Compare what each price includes: who assesses you, how long it takes, whether other people’s views are used, and what follow-up and prescribing cost afterwards.
Do I need a GP referral for a private assessment?
You can usually book directly. But a clinic should still ask to contact your GP, with your consent, especially before prescribing. If you’d rather use the NHS, compare Right to Choose and a private assessment.
What can I do if I’m unhappy with a private clinic?
Start with the clinic’s complaints process, which should be in writing. Private patients can’t use the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which covers NHS-funded care only. You can raise concerns about a doctor with the GMC or about a nurse with the NMC, and in England you can share your experience with the CQC.
Should I choose an NHS provider instead?
It depends on waits where you live, whether Right to Choose is limited in your area, and whether you can pay. NHS access is free at the point of use, but waits can be long. Neither route guarantees a diagnosis, and neither guarantees shared care.
Sources
- NICE. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87), recommendations 1.3 (diagnosis) and 1.10 (review). Last updated 2025.
- General Medical Council. Our registers of doctors. Accessed October 2026.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council. Search the register. Accessed October 2026.
- Care Quality Commission. Treatment of disease, disorder or injury. Accessed October 2026.
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Independent medical agency: information for service providers. Accessed October 2026.
- Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. Who needs to register with us. Accessed October 2026.
- RQIA. Registration guidance. Accessed October 2026.
- Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. Improving ADHD and autism services: commissioning with confidence. August 2026.
- General Medical Council. Good practice in prescribing: controlled drugs and other medicines where additional safeguards are needed. 2021.
- UK Parliament. Written question 22612: private prescriptions for controlled drugs. Answered 13 January 2025.
- British Medical Association. Prescribing in general practice. Updated 28 April 2025.
- Pulse. Care minister defends GP practices’ right to decline ADHD shared care arrangements. 10 September 2025.
- legislation.gov.uk. The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. In force.
- Competition and Markets Authority. Unfair commercial practices: CMA guidance (CMA207). 18 November 2025.
- Advertising Standards Authority and CAP. Healthcare: prescription-only medicines. Updated 30 September 2026.
