Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be referred by a specialist?

We are happy to accept referrals from a specialist or other health providers. We also accept self-referrals. However, please be aware that good standards of practice would require us to request your consent to contact your GP to gather background information and to share the outcome of our assessment and recommendations afterwards. This ensures that your care is as seamless and holistic as it can be. After every appointment, we will write to you and to your GP with a summary of our findings and the agreed recommendations.

How do you ensure confidentiality of my data?

As a practice, we strive to ensure that all information is treated in the strictest confidence. We follow all relevant GDPR and data protection legislation and our medical records are securely encrypted. We also ask for your consent, to communicate with your GP during the process. Similarly, we ask that our patients endeavour to keep us up to date with any change to their personal details e.g. address, GP details etc so that we can update our internal records accordingly.

What age group do you work with?

We mainly work with adults over the age of 18. However, Dr Dan also has experience working with adolescents, and we may also be able to help if you are aged between 14 and 18. We also work with carefully selected specialists in the field, and we are often able to put you in touch with other professionals if your needs fall outside our area of expertise or if additional specialist input is required. Please get in touch with your requirements.

How long will I wait before being seen?

Being a small business focussing on quality rather than quantity, we are able to proactively manage our caseload. We are usually able to offer an appointment within a 2-4 week time window from the initial request.

What should I expect?

Once we receive the referral, we will make contact by email to gather additional information to help us understand your needs and desired outcomes. We also make use of online questionnaires to gather information and background data to make the assessment process as efficient as possible.
After that you will be given an appointment with our psychiatrist who will carry out an initial assessment either face to face or via video consultation – these initial appointments tend to be 1 to 1.5 hrs long. This will be followed by a clinical report, treatment recommendation and a prescription if you choose to opt for medication.

Follow-up appointments may also be necessary – this will depend on a number of factors, including your individual needs and any treatment interventions proposed. Whilst this will all be discussed with yourself, in general, follow-up appointments tend to be 30 minutes long.

What should I do in a crisis?

Whilst we would always try to help out, please be aware that we are not a 24/7 service provider, and our emails are not constantly monitored. If you are in crisis and in need of immediate help, please dial 999 in the case of life-threatening emergency, 111 if the crisis is not life-threatening. You can also access emergency psychiatric help from your local A&E department. Your GP may also be able to help.

Fees and Payment

Whilst each assessment and treatment process is different, we will work on giving you a reasonable estimate of costs at every stage of the process. Please refer to our fee schedule for guidance on prices. We do not charge extra for admin time or provision of clinic space. Payment must be made at least 48 hours in advance of the appointment. Payment can by BACS, Revolut or card payment. Unfortunately, if payment is not received at least 48 hours before the appointment, we will have no choice but to cancel the appointment.

Do you accept Private Health Insurance as payment?

At this moment in time, we are unfortunately unable to accept payment via any health insurance provider. We are working on this and will hopefully be able to accept payment through the main health-insurance providers.

What sort of reports can you provide?

Following the diagnostic assessment, we will provide you with a clinical report that will include treatment recommendations. We will also provide a clinical update with every follow up meeting. These will also be shared with your GP and any other relevant health practitioner with your consent. Should you require any additional documentation, please discuss this with us and we will advise accordingly.
We strive to complete clinical letters and share these with yourself and your GP within a time-frame of 1-2 weeks.
Unfortunately, we do not currently have the capacity to undertake court/forensic reports or court assessments.

How can I get a prescription for my medication?

We can only provide private prescriptions. This means that when you go to the pharmacy, the medication will need to be bought privately, and it is only after the GP has agreed to take-over the provision of prescriptions that you would be able to obtain any newly prescribed meds through the usual NHS routes.
We require a minimum of 7 days for a prescription to be issued. We ask that patients do not leave a request for medication to the last minute as we might not get it to them in time.
We appreciate that in recent years, there have been times when medications have been in short supply. We regularly review our prescribing platforms to optimise the experience for all involved.

FAQ’s specific to ADHD Assessment and Treatment

Do you have any waiting lists for ADHD treatment and assessment?

We do not have any significant waiting lists as such, and we can often commence the process of initial assessment within 2-3 weeks. We achieve this through optimising our workstreams, and proactive caseload management.
There is no waiting time between assessment, diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Many competitors in the market employ non-medically trained healthcare professionals for the initial assessment and diagnosis, and there are then often significant waiting lists to initiate treatment for ADHD. We work differently – after we have collated all the relevant data, you will be reviewed by our consultant psychiatrist, who is able to diagnose as well as provide a treatment plan straight away – there is therefore no additional waiting list to initiate treatment, and you can start to benefit from treatment within a few days of receiving your diagnosis.

What is the process for optimising ADHD treatment?

For ADHD patients, once treatment is commenced, there is then the period of titration/optimisation of the medication where we aim to achieve a period of stability through 'titration reviews' that are ordinarily 30 minute appointments followed by an update clinical letter that goes out to the patient and the respective GP. Most people require 3 titration appointments to implement the necessary changes to the medication and achieved stability. It is only at this stage and once we can evidence that this titration period has happened, that we can complete a request to enter a 'shared care' arrangement with your GP. As a rough estimate, the first titration appointment happens between 4-6 weeks from initiating treatment, the second titration appointment happens around 12-16 weeks from initiating treatment, and then the 3rd titration appointment happens at 6-9 months from initiating treatment, and it is at this stage that we then proceed to complete the shared care request to your GP. These timings may need to be altered depending on your progress and individual needs.

What is a shared care arrangement?

ADHD is a life-long condition, and therefore you may need to take medication for a significant amount of time – often across several years. During the assessment and treatment titration/optimisation stages, we continue to provide prescriptions for your ADHD treatment ourselves on a private basis. Once you have achieved the point of having been stable for a number of months, it is possible for us to ask your GP to provide you with prescriptions for your medications themselves through the usual NHS platforms. We will still remain involved as whilst the GP surgery would provide you with prescriptions, you still require oversight of the medication prescribed and a minimum of a once yearly follow-up review by the prescribing specialist.

What happens if the GP does not accept the shared care agreement?

Unfortunately, it is entirely at the GP's discretion as to whether to accept a shared care arrangement or not. This is not something that we can influence, and there appears to be great variability across GP's. If they do accept a shared care agreement, then that is the point when they take over prescribing of the meds (meaning you can obtain the meds off an NHS prescription and at NHS tariffs), although we will still retain the responsibility of a minimum of an annual review of your ADHD progress as part of the shared care protocol. If the GP does not accept the shared care arrangement for whatever reason, we would be happy to continue to provide prescriptions, but we can only do that on a private prescription basis.

How much does ADHD medication cost?

The exact cost will depend on many variables such as brand of medication, dosage, pharmacy pricing, etc. For example, on average, you should expect to pay around £90-£120 for a month's supply of medication for ADHD.