ADHD “Right to Choose” referrals for Adults

If you feel that you may have ADHD, please speak to one of our team.

 Our team will usually send you an email asking for some further information. It is important that you read all of the information on this webpage before responding to that email.
 If a referral is appropriate, NHS patients in England usually have the right to choose which NHS ADHD service they are referred to (“Right to Choose”).

Please choose your provider carefully. Although we will support your choice of NHS provider, we can usually only enter into new shared-care arrangements with services accredited by our local NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB).

ADHD medication and shared care

Most ADHD medications are controlled medicines. These medicines are started and monitored by specialist ADHD services.

Once a patient is established on a stable dose, the specialist may ask the GP practice to prescribe under a shared-care agreement.

A shared-care agreement sets out the responsibilities of:

• the specialist service,
• the GP practice,
• and the patient.

For example, patients taking ADHD medication need regular monitoring of blood pressure, pulse, height and weight.

Shared-care arrangements are always at the discretion of the GP practice.

Services we can usually share care with

For new referrals we currently can usually only start shared-care prescribing with:

NHS provider

• ambridge and Peterborough Foundation Trust (CPFT) Adult ADHD Clinic

Right to Choose Providers Accredited by NHS Locally

• CARE ADHD
• Harley Street Mental Health Team
• Harrow Health
• Modality
• Skylight Psychiatry
• The Owl Centre

All accredited providers are able to offer:

• ADHD assessments for adults.
• Initiation and titration of ADHD medication following assessment and positive diagnosis.
• A shared care arrangement with your GP aligned to the locally approved shared care agreement.
• An annual review for those on medication – the providers will recall you for your annual reviews, so your GP will not need to refer back in for this.

All accredited providers are asked to contact patients within 10 working days of receiving the referral and complete all assessments within eight weeks (40 working days) from the date of receiving the referral.

If you choose a different provider that is not accredited locally, we will support your right to choose, but we are unlikely to be able to prescribe ADHD medication.

We are also unlikely to prescribe ADHD medication for adults who are:

• under the care of a private ADHD provider,
• under the care of a non-approved NHS ADHD provider,
• receiving ADHD medication prescribed overseas,
• waiting to become stable on treatment with a specialist service.

In these situations, the ADHD Specialist remains responsible for prescribing.