What happens after a private ADHD diagnosis? Shared care explained
A guide to shared care for adults in England, why GPs say yes or no to it, and what to ask a private clinic before you pay.
If you're thinking about a private ADHD assessment, the question that matters most is not "how quickly can I be seen". It's "what happens afterwards". This article explains how shared care works, so you can ask the right questions before you pay anyone.
What shared care means
Shared care is an arrangement where a specialist service starts and stabilises your treatment, and your GP then takes over the routine prescribing and monitoring, with the specialist still available if something changes. It's common for ADHD medication because the medicines need careful starting and regular checks, but once you're settled the ongoing prescribing is straightforward.
For you, shared care means your medication becomes an NHS prescription from your own GP, at the normal NHS charge, instead of a private prescription you pay for every month.
Why some GPs say no
A GP is not obliged to accept a shared care request. Whether they do depends on several things:
- Their local NHS area (the integrated care board, or ICB) may have a policy on private ADHD diagnoses. Some accept them, some accept them with conditions, and some have paused shared care for private patients altogether.
- The quality of the diagnosis. GPs are more comfortable when the assessment followed national guidance (NICE guideline NG87), the report is thorough, and a suitably qualified clinician made the diagnosis.
- Whether treatment is stable. Shared care is usually only requested once your dose has been settled for a period and the monitoring is up to date.
- Workload and confidence. Some practices simply do not have the capacity, or do not feel confident managing ADHD medication.
None of this is personal, and it is not a judgement on you. But it's why a private diagnosis on its own does not guarantee NHS prescribing afterwards.
What happens if your GP declines
You have three options, and a good clinic will tell you about all of them before you book:
- Stay with the private clinic for ongoing prescribing, usually on a monthly or annual plan with regular reviews. This works, but it has a cost, and you should know that cost in advance.
- Ask your GP to refer you to the NHS adult ADHD service, so that an NHS specialist can review you and take over. This can involve a long wait, but the private assessment and treatment records often make it quicker once you're seen.
- In England, use your right to choose an NHS-funded provider for assessment and treatment, if your GP agrees to refer you that way. Not every area supports this, and rules change, so ask your GP what applies where you live.
Questions to ask a private clinic before you pay
- Do you know what my local ICB's position is on shared care for private ADHD diagnoses, and will you tell me before I book?
- Who assesses me, and who confirms the diagnosis?
- If my GP declines shared care, what does staying with you cost per month, and what is included?
- How often will you monitor my blood pressure, pulse and weight, and how do you do that remotely?
- What is in the report you send my GP, and can I see an example?
If a clinic cannot answer these clearly, that's your answer.
How Kavana approaches this
We're building Kavana around what happens after the diagnosis, including the handover to your GP. Before anyone pays, we tell them what their local area usually does with private diagnoses. Our assessments follow national guidance, and every diagnosis is confirmed by a consultant psychiatrist who reviews the full assessment. Once treatment is stable, we write to your GP with a full report and a shared care request in the format their area expects. If the answer is no, you are not left on your own: there's a clear, priced plan for staying with us, and we help with the NHS route if that's right for you.
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This article is general information about how ADHD care works in England. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with your GP or a specialist.