In 2019, a report was published which demonstrated that ADHD service provision for adults in England for the year 2017 – 18 was and still is inadequate. The report also gave an indication of the waiting times for an adult to be assessed (From the date they are referred to the NHS Foundation Waiting List until the date of their ADHD Assessment), here’s a quote from the report
the longest average waiting time from referral to
assessment was 201.5 weeks [3 Years 11 Months], with the shortest
reported being 4 weeks
The journey from realisation that ADHD explains how you are as a person through to being assessed and diagnosed with ADHD (where appropriate) is a long, frustrating and bewildering one.
Faced with potentially years on an NHS Waiting List for an ADHD Assessment, many look in to the possibility of turning to private clinics to get the help that they need. By rights, should an individual be waiting on an NHS Waiting List for more than 18 weeks to see a specialist (or consultant) for a mental health assessment (not just ADHD), the GP should be able to refer that individual to a private clinic at the NHS’s expense but this isn’t automatic and many GP’s seem not to even be aware of the NHS ‘Right To Choose’ guidance.
As a result and if our Beneficiarys’ GP / Clinical Commissioning Group won’t refer to a private clinic through the NHS under the ‘Right To Choose’ guidelines, the only alternative is to pay privately for ADHD Assessment and diagnosis.
A private specialist will assess the individual for ADHD either face to face, or in these days of Covid-19, via Zoom or a similar technology.
Prior to the assessment, which will normally last between one and two hours, the individual will have some questionnaires to fill in, one of their parents / guardians will also have a questionnaire to fill in relating to childhood behaviours. Old school reports can give vital insight to, if they are still available.
What can the cost for a private ADHD Assessment be? The cost varies greatly between private clinics and the individuals choice of clinic can sometimes be limited by their GP. Some surgerys will only accept ADHD Assessments from a list of private clinics that they trust and have referred to before. Typically, the cost of an ADHD Assessment will be between £350 and £850 and will be a little cheaper if its conducted over Zoom / Skype rather than face to face.
Following the ADHD Assessment, the private specialist will then write a detailed report, and send the diagnosis it to the individual and their GP.
For some of our Beneficiaries, the cost of the private ADHD Assessment is simply beyond their reach. Here at the Tim Kiver Foundation we provide funding (where appropriate) to accelerate and enable our Beneficiaries to get the assessments that they desperately need to be able to build a new and improved future for themselves.
With your help, we can make this key part of the ADHD journey happen quickly and efficiently.
The benefits of a diagnosis are huge and YOUR donation will directly contribute to changing one of our Beneficiaries’ lives for the better – The sense of relief and the fact that a healthcare professional has made an official diagnosis feels like the first day of the rest of their lives.
