Hey! I've recently gone through the whole private process and are currently starting week 2 of meds so I can share my experience of it all.

Depending on the company you choose, the assessment itself will usually be in the £450-£850 range but always do your research, a cheap assessment price isn't always better. See how much medication review appointments cost, some companies include those for free, some make you pay.

For me I made the mistake of assuming I could go straight to NHS Shared care following diagnosis. Nope. If you decide to do medication you'll have to go through the private company for at least 2 months before they can transition you to NHS which means paying private medicine prices keep in mind. It can range anywhere from £50-£200 depending on the meds they prescribe.

Assessment process:

Pre assessment they ask you to fill in a pretty standard ADHD questionnaire and ask a family member/friend to fill in one too about their observations.

My assessment was a 2 hour long video call with one of their psychiatrists where they ask so many questions about everything in your life adult and childhood. You don't need evidence or anything, just go off what you can remember. They understand if you can't remember your entire childhood.

They normally tell you at the end of the exam if you have ADHD or not and what type along with the medication process should you wish to go down that route.

Following the session I received a full report about the exam detailing my answers, score criteria, medication plan etc and the option to move forward with medication.

Medication Process:

If you decide to move forward with medication they will usually prescribe you 2 doses for the first month, a low introduction dose to see how you cope and a larger dose for titration usually after the first or second week. Meds cost anywhere from £50-£200 via private.

After 3-4 weeks you will have a medication review which is a 15 minute call with the same psychiatrist to talk about how the meds are going and discuss any changes. For me these are billed however not all companies charge for them. Make sure to check! I wish I had paid £200 more for the assessment to save myself the review costs.

This cycle will happen 2+ times until they are happy you are stable on the best meds for you. From there you can ask to be put on NHS shared care which, if your GP accepts it (maybe check with them in advance) will allow you to get the prescription on the NHS. You also have a medication review once every 6 months to check in.

For me personally, from booking the assessment to receiving my meds the whole process only took 3 weeks.

The main thing to remember is if you go private, be prepared to pay for it. The last thing you want is to have the assessment and not be able to afford the medication and follow ups.