Private ADHD and autism assessments and public services across the UK
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not share one single ADHD or autism referral and acceptance pathway. The intended use of a private report should be discussed before booking.
A private report can be shared, but prescribing, shared care, public service acceptance, education decisions and requests for further assessment remain with the receiving organisation.
England
In England, NHS Right to Choose can apply to qualifying first outpatient referrals. It is an NHS funded pathway and is not the same as paying privately for an assessment. If NHS funding is your main aim, discuss current choice rights with your GP before paying privately.
Scotland
NHS Inform states that there is no standard approach to ADHD assessment across Scotland and that pathways can vary by health board. It also advises people considering private ADHD assessment to check whether their local health board and GP practice will accept an alternative provider's assessment.
Wales
Neurodevelopmental services are organised through Welsh health boards and national improvement programmes. Some services publish their own criteria for reviewing private reports. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, for example, states that private autism diagnoses are accepted only where the assessment meets its published NICE based requirements. Other health boards may use different processes.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland uses Health and Social Care Trust structures rather than NHS England pathways. Public autism referral arrangements vary by Trust. The Department of Health published an ADHD Needs Assessment in February 2026 to inform options for future commissioned ADHD provision.
Read the Northern Ireland guide.
What standards are used in a private assessment?
The assessment question, developmental history, current presentation, functional impact, information from other sources where appropriate, differential explanations and co occurring needs are considered. NICE guidance is used where applicable. Screening questionnaires are not treated as diagnosis on their own.
Can I give a private report to my GP or public service?
Yes. With consent, reports can be shared with a GP, NHS or HSC clinician, school, university or employer. The report is written to make the evidence, method, conclusion, limitations and recommendations clear. The receiving organisation retains its own decision making responsibility.
ADHD medication and shared care
A psychological ADHD diagnosis does not itself create an entitlement to medication. Prescribing requires an appropriate medical prescriber, physical health consideration, treatment decisions and monitoring. Shared care is also a separate GP and specialist decision.
Children and young people
The intended use of a child assessment matters. School information, developmental history and information across settings can be important. Public child neurodevelopmental pathways differ across the four UK nations and sometimes between local services within a nation.
Before booking privately
If your main goal is NHS or HSC treatment, medication, a specific public clinic, education evidence or another formal process, tell the practice during the free consultation. Where acceptance by a named service is essential, check that service's current requirements before paying for assessment.
Official public information by nation
England: NHS patient choice
Scotland: NHS Inform ADHD
Wales: Neurodivergence Improvement Programme
Northern Ireland: ADHD Needs Assessment
NHS and private assessment are not interchangeable
Public pathways and commissioning arrangements differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Before paying privately, clarify why you need the assessment, what the report will be used for and any requirements of the receiving NHS, education or workplace service.