Psychiatry UK Waiting Times Update

Over recent years, the UK has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people seeking ADHD and ASD assessments under the NHS Right to Choose  scheme. This has inevitably led to growing waiting lists.  

Our patients are having to wait longer than we would like for assessment (and titration if applicable). We actively recruit year-round to onboard new doctors, prescribers and non-clinical staff to our teams, and we are introducing new technology to speed up processes and reduce our waiting times. 

In the meantime, we ask you please to be patient with us. We really are working as fast as we can to make a difference and increase patients’ accessibility to our mental health services. 

Please find below our top FAQS to help address some common queries. 

How will I know if Psychiatry UK has received my referral?  

It can take up to 4 weeks to process your referral.  

• Once accepted, we will contact you via SMS and/or email to help you set up an account on our MedQare portal  
• When you are logged in, you will find a welcome note letting you know what you need to do next

If you have not heard from us after 4 weeks, please ask your GP surgery:  

• The date your GP sent your referral. 
• Whether your referral has been returned to your surgery as incomplete, or has not been accepted. 
• If your referral has not been returned to your GP and you have not heard from us after 4 weeks, please contact us using  our Virtual Assistant service. Your query will be escalated to our live chat to speak to a member of our Customer Support team (available Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm). 

How long will I need to wait for an assessment? 

When your referral has been accepted, you will be sent a welcome email to set up your account and your name will be added to our waiting list. 

At this stage, we will not be able to provide an appointment date as this can change, due to many factors. However, please see our guide below to current waiting times. These are updated regularly. 

Current wait time for Adult ADHD/ASD assessment under Right to Choose:  

• ADHD – up to 12 months from the date we accept your referral 
• ASD – up to 5 months from the date we accept your referral 

We ask you please not to contact our Customer Support team during this period unless you need urgent support, as they will be unable to provide you with any additional information. 

As soon as you reach the top of our waiting list (and have completed all of your pre-assessment forms), we will send you a link to book a convenient appointment time. So please keep looking out for Psychiatry UK emails and/or text messages. 

If you are a Kent and Medway Adult Autism and ADHD Service patient – please read this statement 

How can I get in touch? 

Please use our  Virtual Assistant (VA) service, which is available from our website, portal and Companion App. This is the fastest way to find information. Click the ‘Chat Live with us’ button to access this service.

If our Virtual Assistant is unable to answer your query, you will be transferred to a member of our Customer Support team or fast-tracked to the team that is best suited to answer your query. Our opening hours are Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm. 

Alternatively, you can call our support line: 0330 124 1980 (Mon-Fri: 8am-6pm). Our phone lines are extremely busy and we regret that you may be on hold for some time.

Please note that our call handling team will not be able to give any additional information about wait times, so please wait to be contacted by us. 

Urgent medical assistance needed? 

Psychiatry UK is an online service only and is therefore not able to offer an emergency service. 

Please see our guide to seeking urgent assistance. 

Please be aware that if you are considering medication, there is a delay between assessment and the start of titration.

Current wait time for Adult ADHD titration:

• 7-10 months between initial assessment and the start of titration (Adults) 

Please note:

• This time is dependent on stock availability due to national medication shortages 
• If your clinician has ordered further medical investigations, such as an ECG or bloods, this can increase the wait time 

Current wait time for Child & Adolescent ADHD titration:

• 5 weeks between initial assessment and the start of titration (children)

Please note: As of June 2024, all patients are referred to the PUK titration waiting list, due to standardising treatment and parity of waiting times.

There may be exceptions which are considered on a case-by-case basis for existing patients of Psychiatry UK who have been on ADHD medications before, dependant on clinical risk and other factors. We will continue to review our processes.

Prioritisation/Expedition 

We unable to prioritise or expedite titration requests, as this impacts other patients who are waiting to receive our services. All our patients’ needs are important and the increasing demand for expedition means that some would need to wait longer than we are happy with.