Autism & ADHD

Adults

Adults can be referred by a GP to:

• The NHS Adult ADHD Service, or
• An NHS Right to Choose (RTC) ADHD provider

Children

Children may be referred to:

• The paediatric ADHD service via their school, or
• A Right to Choose provider via the GP

What is NHS Right to Choose?

Right to Choose allows patients to select an NHS-commissioned provider for ADHD assessment and treatment. Although these providers are private organisations, your care is funded by the NHS.

Most Right to Choose providers offer:

• ADHD assessment
• Medication initiation and titration (if clinically appropriate)

Patients are encouraged to research providers carefully to ensure the service meets their needs before requesting a referral.

Wargrave Surgery can currently refer to the following NHS Right to Choose providers:

• Psychiatry UK
• Clinical Partners
• Oakdale
• Dr J & Colleagues
• Care ADHD

Waiting time information is available via ADHD UK – Right to Choose guidance.

Referral forms are available on each provider’s website. Please attend your GP appointment with any required paperwork completed.

ADHD medications are specialist-only treatments and must be started by an ADHD specialist.

Once a patient is stable on treatment, the GP may continue prescribing under a Shared Care Protocol (SCP). This is a formal agreement between:

• The specialist service
• The GP
• The patient

Monitoring requirements

For ADHD medication to be prescribed safely, patients must:

• Have at least an annual specialist review
• • Complete 6-monthly monitoring for General Practice, including: 
  • Weight
  • Height
  • Blood pressure
  • Heart rate

Patients are responsible for arranging and attending required follow-up appointments. Prescribing may be stopped if monitoring or reviews are not maintained.

Services we routinely accept

We routinely enter Shared Care agreements with:

• NHS ADHD services
• NHS Right to Choose ADHD providers

Private ADHD providers

We do not routinely accept Shared Care with private ADHD providers that are not commissioned through the NHS. There is currently no national guidance on the multiple private sector ADHD services that have developed in recent years, and it is not possible or appropriate for the practice to assess the quality of these private services.

Possible exceptions

We may consider Shared Care:

• Where a patient receives private care from a provider that is also an NHS Right to Choose provider
• With certain local, established providers we can easily access:
  • Cardinal Clinic
  • Wokingham Priory
  • Oxford ADHD and Autism Centre

Acceptance of Shared Care is not guaranteed and may be declined if we have concerns about:

• The assessment process
• Clinical standards
• The Shared Care Protocol provided

Shared Care may be discontinued if a provider leaves the NHS Right to Choose scheme or if required monitoring and follow-up is not completed.

Requests for Shared Care

All new Shared Care requests are reviewed by a GP.

If approved:

• The patient will receive written confirmation
• The patient remains responsible for arranging ongoing specialist follow-up

If follow-up or monitoring is missed, the practice will stop prescribing ADHD medication.

If your ADHD diagnosis and treatment are with a private provider not listed in the Right to Choose ADHD Providers section above, you will need to:

• Transfer care to the NHS ADHD service, or
• Be referred to a Right to Choose provider

Once under one of these services, the GP may prescribe ADHD medication under a Shared Care Protocol.

The following information is correct as of April 2026:

• Dr J & Colleagues: Patients with an existing diagnosis can be referred, but an initial assessment is usually required before medication titration.
• Oakdale: A copy of your ADHD diagnostic report is required and will be reviewed before acceptance.
• Psychiatry-UK: A GP referral and review appointment are required. Referrals are not accepted during active medication changes elsewhere unless treatment is stable.
• Clinical Partners: Accepts diagnoses from other providers if reports meet clinical standards. Includes medication titration and annual reviews.
• Care ADHD: Does not provide a medication-only service.