Adult ADHD
Non-urgent advice: Adult ADHD
ADHD Referals
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 only enter into shared-care arrangements with services approved by our local NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB).
ADHD Medication and Shared Care
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:
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the specialist service,
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the GP practice,
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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
We currently only provide shared-care prescribing with:
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Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation Trust (CPFT) Adult ADHD Clinic
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CARE ADHD – Centre of ADHD Research and Excellence
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Harley Street Mental Health Team
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Harrow Health
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Modality
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Skylight Psychiatry
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The Owl Centre
If you choose a different NHS provider, we will support your right to choose, but we will not be able to prescribe ADHD medication.
We are unable to prescribe ADHD medication for adults who are:
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under the care of a private ADHD provider,
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under the care of a non-approved NHS ADHD provider,
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receiving ADHD medication prescribed overseas,
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or waiting to become stable on treatment with a specialist service.
In these situations, the specialist clinician remains responsible for prescribing.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and patients coming from abroad
We understand that some patients moving to the UK may already have an ADHD or ADD diagnosis and may already be taking medication.
However, UK prescribing rules for ADHD medication are strict. We are unable to continue prescribing unless the patient is under the care of one of our approved NHS ADHD services.
We are happy to discuss referral options once you are registered with the practice.
Please be aware that NHS ADHD services often have long waiting times.
Page last reviewed: 11 May 2026
Page created: 09 August 2024
Page created: 09 August 2024