Waiting Times Update
NHS Right to Choose & Private Services
Updated: 09 September 2026
Our current estimated waiting times
The table below shows our current estimated waiting times for NHS Right to Choose referrals.
These are estimates and may change. Your individual waiting time may also be longer if your local NHS organisation has placed a limit on the number of patients we can progress.
These waiting times assume that:
- You have completed your pre-assessment forms.
- There are no local NHS limits affecting where we can offer you an appointment.
If your forms are completed later, or a local NHS limit applies in your area, you may need to wait longer.
Psychiatry UK ‘Standard’ estimated NHS (Right to Choose) Waiting Times
| Service | Current estimated waiting time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referral Processing This is the time it takes for us to process and accept your referral after it is made by the GP. | 2 weeks | |||
| Adult ADHD Assessment From the date of your GP's initial referral. | Up to 20-24 weeks (5-6 months) | |||
| Adult Autism Assessment From the date of your GP's initial referral. | Up to 18-20 weeks (4-5 months) | |||
| Adult ADHD Medication Treatment (Titration) From the date you joined the titration waiting list, usually the date of your initial assessment appointment. | Up to 60-65 weeks (14-15 months) |
NHS Right to Choose Service Updates
Some local NHS Integrated Commissioning Boards (ICBs) have placed limits on the number of Right to Choose ADHD and autism assessments that providers, including Psychiatry UK, can progress during 2026/27.
This means that waiting times may be different for patients in some areas.
What is an Integrated Care Board (ICB)?
Your local NHS organisation is called an Integrated Care Board, or ICB.
An ICB is responsible for planning and funding NHS healthcare services in your local area. Your ICB is usually based on the area where your GP practice is located.
For the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, some ICBs have put limits on the number of Assessments they will fund this year for Right to Choose patients. If this applies in your ICB area, you may wait longer than the estimated waiting times shown above. In some areas, the wait may extend beyond March 2027.
Find waiting-time information for your area
Use the postcode checker below to find your ICB.
You can then select your ICB from the list below to see whether a local NHS limit applies and what this means for your waiting time.
Please note; we do not manage this postcode checker website.
Waiting times for your local NHS area
Find your Integrated Care Board (ICB) below to see the latest information for your area:
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
Find out more information on GM Integrated Care here →
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- “Standard” wait times can be found here
- ADHD assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time:78+ weeks
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
- “Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: Standard
- ADHD assessments waiting time: Standard
“Standard” wait times can be found here
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- Autism assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
- ADHD assessments waiting time: 78+ weeks
What does a longer waiting time mean for you?
If a local NHS IAP/budget applies in your area:
- If you are waiting to book your assessment, we will invite you to book as soon as we are able to progress your referral.
- If you already have an assessment booked, we may need to rearrange your appointment.
We will contact you directly via email and/or text when we are able to book, or if we need to rearrange your appointment, so please keep checking for notifications from Psychiatry UK.
There is no need to contact us for a waiting-time update in the meantime.
We know longer waits can be difficult
We know that a longer wait can be frustrating and may leave you feeling uncertain about what happens next.
These limits are set by local NHS ICBs and are outside Psychiatry UK’s control.
If you would like to contact your local Integrated Care Board, you can find contact details on the NHS England website:
Faster Options Available:
Our Private ADHD & Autism Services
We know how hard waiting can be – which is why we’ve launched new private (self-pay) services for those looking for faster access to support.
| Private Service Type | Time to Appointment | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Autism Assessment | Within 2-3 weeks | |||
| Adult ADHD Initial Assessment | Within 2-3 weeks | |||
| Adult ADHD Medication (titration after assessment) Read More Here | Within 2-3 weeks | |||
| Children & Young People ADD, ADHD, Autism Assessment | Within 2-3 weeks | |||
| Children & Young People ADHD Medication (titration after assessment) | Within 5 weeks |
No GP referral needed. No waiting list. Just timely, expert support.
Frequently Asked Questions
An Integrated Care Board (ICB) is the NHS organisation responsible for planning and funding healthcare services in your local area.
Your ICB is usually based on the area where your GP practice is located.
Need for ADHD and autism assessments has increased significantly in recent years.
ICBs decide how the NHS funding available in their area is used across different healthcare services. For 2026/27, some ICBs have set IAP budgets which may limit the number of Right to Choose patients that providers such as Psychiatry UK can progress.
Where an IAPapplies, patients may have to wait longer for an assessment.
Yes. If we have confirmed that your referral has been accepted, you will remain on our waiting list.
An ICB IAP or budget may mean that it takes longer for us to progress your referral to assessment, but your referral has not been cancelled.
We’ll contact you as soon as we’re able to move your referral forward.
There’s no need to contact us for a waiting-time update, but do please complete your forms and tell us if anything changes
We’ll get in touch as soon as we’re able to progress your referral and invite you to book an appointment.
At present, we are unable to tell you exactly when this will be. Our patient support team has the same waiting-time information that is published on this page and will not be able to give you a more specific date.
Where your referral has been accepted, you will remain on our waiting list. We’ll contact you when there’s something you need to do.
If there are no local NHS commissioning limits affecting your area and our current estimated waiting times apply to you, please complete all of your pre-assessment forms as early as possible. You will find these under the Pending Forms tab in the Forms section of your portal.
Completing your forms early does not guarantee an earlier appointment, but it helps make sure that outstanding information does not delay your assessment when we’re able to progress your referral.
While you wait, please also:
- Check your patient portal from time to time.
- Make sure your contact details are up to date.
- Look out for email and text notifications from us about updates in your portal.
Yes.
If you’re waiting for an ADHD assessment, you will first wait for your assessment appointment.
If you’re diagnosed with ADHD and choose to start medication treatment, you‘ll then join a separate waiting list for titration.
This means that the waiting time for ADHD medication treatment is in addition to the waiting time for your assessment.
Looking to start your private ADHD Assessment today?
Visit our dedicated page, fill in your details, and we’ll guide you from there – no referral, no waiting times, no hassle, and full support along the way.
Urgent Medical Assistance
Please note: Psychiatry UK is an online service only and is therefore not able to offer an emergency service.
