How to prepare and what to expect from your ADHD assessment
Once your referral has been processed, you will need to complete your patient checklist, which includes pre-assessment questionnaires. These are an essential part of the information-gathering process to help your clinician reach a diagnosis, so we recommend putting aside some quiet time to gather evidence and complete your forms during the waiting period.
You will also be requested to provide photo ID and proof of address. This is a mandatory requirement for online assessment.
Feeling apprehensive?
Feeling apprehensive about an assessment is normal, but rest assured, there’s no need to worry. Our doctors are experienced in helping people feel at ease, allowing you to focus on discussing your symptoms and how they impact your daily life.
The assessment process involves gathering as much information and evidence as possible for your clinician to match against the ‘core’ characteristics of ADHD. They will need to understand your current circumstances, as well as your early development, family history and medical history.
This typically involves gathering information about:
- Your early developmental history from someone who knew you well as a child (for example a parent or sibling), if this is available
- Your family history, including significant life events that may affect your behaviour or the way you react to experiences
- Any past and current physical and mental health conditions
- Any other neurodevelopmental diagnoses (for example autism)
- Daily life experiences and relationships, at home, in education and employment
- Communication and social interaction experiences
- Behaviours, interests and attention to detail
- Sensory differences, including sensory sensitivity
- Areas of particular strength
An ADHD diagnosis must be based on information from a variety of sources. This information is used by the specialist team to make clinical judgements based on the diagnostic criteria.
Gathering a history
An understanding of your history is important to provide context and build up a picture of your ADHD traits, your childhood experiences and any current challenges. A clinical history should aim to include:
An account of your development as a child
- A full medical history, including past and current physical and mental health conditions
- Current challenges faced in relationships, at home, in education or employment
- Signs of any characteristics consistent with the criteria of ADHD outlined in diagnostic manuals
- Family history, including any social communication and interaction differences, behaviour or sensory differences, mental health conditions, learning disability
- Descriptions from family members, including evidence of significant life events which may have had an impact on your behaviour or reactions (person who knows you well, e.g. family members, partners, employers or colleagues, with your consent).
When asking about your medical history, or when carrying out direct observations, specialists use specific tools to make sure that the process is consistent. A diagnosis is informed by information from a range of sources, together with clinical judgement.
- Your appointment will last approximately 50 minutes and will take place over a Teams video call. You’re welcome to have a family member join you.
- Please ensure that you are in a quiet place, so that you will be able to focus on the questions asked by your clinician and ensure that any information shared will remain confidential.
- At the start of the consultation, the clinician will ask whether you are happy for the consultation to be recorded. If you do not wish the consultation to be recorded, you must ensure you clearly convey this to the clinician. To meet statutory requirements, however, your doctor is required to maintain accurate records of the discussions held, which will inform your medical record held by Psychiatry UK.
- You will be asked to show photo ID at the start of the session to verify your identity.
- Observation is an important part of the process, to supplement the information in your pre-assessment questionnaires and to identify evidence of the core characteristics of ADHD. We therefore request that you keep your camera on throughout the appointment.
- Your appointment will follow a structure to ensure all diagnostic criteria are covered within the appointment time.
- The doctor will carefully assess your mental health and gather a complete psychiatric history, considering other conditions that may be related to ADHD.
- They will ask you about the symptoms you described in your pre-assessment forms and about your past experiences. If any questions make you uncomfortable, please tell the doctor. They will not pressure you to share anything you are not comfortable with.
- If you wish to share more information at the end of your assessment, please tell your doctor you will add it to a note in your MedQare portal after the appointment. Ask them to consider it for your diagnosis.
The assessment will be carried out by a specialist ADHD psychiatrist. They will introduce themselves and explain the purpose of the session before they start gathering information about you.
You can request any reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs, such as identifying any communication preferences or sensory needs to make the consultation more accessible.
Our commitment to accessible assessments for the deaf and hard of hearing community
We are committed to ensuring that all our patients have a smooth and supportive experience. We want you to feel confident that your communication needs will be met.
A longer appointment
To ensure there’s enough time for clear communication and discussion, we offer 90-minute appointments for our deaf and hard of hearing patients instead of the usual 50 minutes.
Interpreters to fit your needs
We will arrange for a qualified interpreter to support you during your appointment.
You will have the option to meet your interpreter 10-15 minutes before your appointment to make introductions and ensure a smooth experience.
If needed, we can provide a second interpreter to further support the conversation.
Your choice of sign language
We understand that sign language varies from person to person. Whether you prefer British Sign Language (BSL), Signed English, or another form of sign language, we will ensure you are matched with an interpreter who aligns with your communication style.
Making your preferences known
Your GP will include your request for an interpreter in your referral so that all future appointments reflect your needs. This will be recorded on your patient file to ensure consistency.
Live transcription
In your appointments via Microsoft Teams we will enable the live transcription, allowing you to read along in real time if you choose to. Please do ask your Consultant and/or Interpreter if you would like any clarification on any of the live transcription which comes out, this can help reduce any misunderstandings or errors in transcription.
How to let us know what works best for you
We want to make this process as easy as possible. If you have any preferences or specific requests, please reach out via your patient portal, and we will do our best to accommodate them.
We work with a trusted organisation that specialises in supporting the deaf community, and we are committed to providing a service that meets your needs.
At the end of your assessment, the doctor will share their findings and discuss any signs of co-occurring conditions, such as autism. If further information is required before reaching a diagnosis, they may schedule another appointment.
An assessment report, including a recommended treatment plan, will be prepared and sent to your GP. A copy of this letter will also be shared with you via your MedQare patient portal, although it may take 4 to 6 weeks to become available. If there is any information you prefer not to be included in the letter, please inform the doctor during your appointment. They can decide to omit it if it’s unrelated to your diagnosis.
If you are diagnosed with ADHD and choose medication treatment, you will be referred to our Titration Service (titration is the process that introduces your body safely to medication).
This service provides support and guidance throughout the titration process, which ensures that medication is safely initiated at a low dose and gradually increased until it’s most effective, with the fewest possible side effects.
Please note that there will be a wait between assessment and titration. You can find out our up-to-date wait times here.
Our process for diagnosing ADHD is detailed, evidence-based and clinically rigorous. We are assured that we provide accurate and well-supported assessments based on clear diagnostic procedures.
For this reason, we do not provide second opinions, and in these circumstances recommend you approach your GP regarding a referral to another provider. This does not affect your right to complain about any aspect of our service via our complaints processes, available on our website here.
Please find below a helpful guide to understanding and managing ADHD.
You may also find it helpful to browse our Resources area for additional information and support.
- If you need urgent advice or support, please follow the guidance on our website here.
- For any other queries, please contact our customer support team via our Live Chat service or call our telephone support line: 0330 124 1980 (we are open Mon-Fri 8am – 6pm).
- If you have a smart device, we highly recommend you download the MedQare Companion App. This way, you will receive a notification if any new notes are added to your portal dashboard. You can download it from the Apple App Store, or via Google Play.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can seek a second opinion through Right to Choose, but we will require your GP to provide us with the previous report and related correspondence.
However, please note that if your assessment was performed by Psychiatry UK, we cannot offer you a second opinion through our service under RTC.
The DVLA recommends informing them only if your ADHD significantly impacts your ability to drive safely. If you’re uncertain about your condition’s effect on driving, it’s advisable to discuss it with your doctor. Additionally, it’s a wise measure to inform your insurance company about any relevant medical conditions.
We will always try to respond to portal messages as fast as we can.
We appreciate your understanding that due to the high number of patients under our care, we may not always respond to patient requests immediately. Occasionally, your note may need to be forwarded to your doctor, which could result in a slightly longer response time.
For urgent matters, please consider contacting us via our Virtual Assistant service (Mon-Fri: 8am-6pm).
Please note: While we endeavour to provide timely assistance, we are not an emergency service and cannot offer emergency medical services for urgent or crisis situations, or for patients who are acutely ill.
Please leave a note on the portal with your requested amendments and assign the note to ‘Your Doctor’. This is the fastest method for getting any changes made.
We continue to experience unprecedented demand for referrals for both our adult ADHD and autism services, which has inevitably created waiting lists for assessment and treatment.
Please click here for our current waiting times. Our Customer Support team is unable to give any more information on waiting times over the phone or via our webchat, so please wait to be contacted by us.
If you are already registered with us, we will contact you by email and portal note to arrange the appointment, so please keep looking out for Psychiatry UK emails.
Please log into your account and click on the link to ‘My Profile’ in the menu on the left-hand side of the page. You can update all your personal details here.
To reset your password, please follow our guidance here.
Contact us via our Virtual Assistant service, available from our website, portal and Companion app. You will be guided to speak to a member of our IT Support team.