Being accepted for an assessment does not mean that you will be diagnosed with ADHD. The assessment helps us understand whether your symptoms match the recognised signs of ADHD.
During the assessment, we will ask questions and gather information about your experiences. This helps us decide whether ADHD is the best explanation for the difficulties you are having.
Not everyone who has an ADHD assessment receives an ADHD diagnosis. Sometimes the assessment shows that there may be another reason for a person’s difficulties. If this happens, we will try to provide advice and recommendations about other types of support that may be helpful.
To be referred to our service, you must:
- be registered with a GP in Somerset
- be at least 17 years and 9 months old.
A GP or another Somerset NHS professional can refer you.
You cannot refer yourself to the service.
Who can be referred to our service?
We accept referrals for:
- adults who have not been diagnosed with ADHD before and would like an ADHD assessment
- adults who already have an ADHD diagnosis but have not started medication, or who stopped treatment and would like to start it again.
Adults diagnosed through a Right to Choose provider
If you were assessed and diagnosed with ADHD by a Right to Choose provider and wish to start ADHD medication, you will need to contact that provider directly to discuss treatment options.
Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) has confirmed that there is no time limit on a patient being referred back to their Right to Choose provider to discuss medication following an ADHD diagnosis.
If returning to the Right to Choose provider is not possible, you can be referred to the Somerset Adult ADHD Service by your GP. To ensure the system remains fair for all patients, you will join the waiting list as a new referral and will be placed on the waiting list according to the date of your original ADHD assessment.
Please note that there may be a significant wait for a medication assessment appointment. The current waiting time is approximately four years.
Adults diagnosed through a private provider
If you were diagnosed with ADHD by a private provider and would like to start medication, you can be referred to the Somerset Adult ADHD Service.
However, to make sure the system is fair for everyone, you will join the waiting list as a new referral. This means there may be a long wait for a medication appointment. The current waiting time is around 4 years.
Because of this, many people choose to start medication with their private provider first.
Once medication is stable and working well, you can be referred to the community mental health service for shared care and yearly reviews if needed.
How to make a referral
Patients who have not been diagnosed with ADHD before
If you have not been diagnosed with ADHD before, the referral form has two parts.
Part 1
This should be completed by the healthcare professional making the referral, together with the person who wants to access the service.
Guidance is available if needed.
Referral form part 1 – for healthcare professionals to complete.
Part 2
This should be completed by the person being referred.
Please tell us as much as you can about:
- the symptoms you experience
- how these symptoms affect your daily life.
Referral form part 2 – to be completed by you and/or family.
Both parts should be sent to ADHDspa@somersetft.nhs.uk
If you already have an ADHD diagnosis
Please provide us with supporting evidence of your diagnosis such as:
- a referral letter and GP summary
- any clinic letters detailing previous ADHD treatment
ADHD assessment reports, where available (we appreciate that a formal report may not always have been produced at the time of diagnosis) - any other documentation that supports the ADHD diagnosis.
Providing supporting evidence of an ADHD diagnosis
If your GP does not have a copy of your diagnosis letter, and you do not have one yourself, you may need to ask for your records.
You can do this by making a Subject Access Request (SAR). This is a simple request to get copies of information that an organisation holds about you, including letters and reports about your diagnosis.
If we do not get information about your ADHD diagnosis, we may need to treat your referral as a new referral. This means you will go on our waiting list for an assessment, and will have to wait a long time for an appointment.
To help avoid delays, please send us any letters or documents that confirm your ADHD diagnosis as soon as you can to ADHDspa@somersetft.nhs.uk
Waiting times
At the moment, people usually wait about 48 months (4 years) for an ADHD assessment after their referral has been accepted.
For people who already have an ADHD diagnosis but have not started medication, or who stopped treatment and would like to start it again, the waiting time for treatment is currently 6 to 12 months (6 months to 1 year).
You can use our free app CONNECTPlus to help you learn more about ADHD and some advice on how to manage daily organisation and life.
You can also see our helpful resource on our ADHD homepage for more information about ADHD.
What happens after a referral is received?
- We look at the referral information.
- We decide whether the referral can be accepted.
- If accepted, the person joins the waiting list.
- Please note: The outcome of your referral will be sent to you by email. Sometimes emails from our service may be filtered into your junk or spam folder. If you are expecting correspondence from us, please check these folders regularly to ensure you do not miss any important updates.
- Please make sure you give us enough information. If there is not enough information, we may not be able to accept the referral or decide what help you need.
- Near the time of the assessment, questionnaires will be sent to your email address complete online via ATMOS. ATMOS can be used safely with your NHS login. You will receive an email with this information.
- Sometimes emails sent from our service are filtered to junk or spam folders. Please check these if you are expecting contact from us.
- Before we can offer you an assessment, please fill in the questionnaires and send them back to us.
- We will also send a questionnaire to a family member or friend. This helps us learn more about any difficulties you may be having from another person’s point of view.
- An assessment appointment will then be offered.
Please return the assessment pack by the date we give you. If we do not receive it in time, you will be discharged from the service. If you would like an assessment in the future, you will need to be referred again.
Many more people are asking for ADHD assessments and treatment than ever before. Because of this, Somerset’s ADHD Service is very busy. This means there may be delays with some administrative tasks, including sending letters to confirm we have received your referral.
We are sorry for any delays and thank you for your patience and understanding.
If you have any questions, please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 01823 343536 or email pals@somersetft.nhs.uk.