ADHD diagnosis for 16 Yr old

[shonapop]

What is the best way to go about getting an ADHD assessment for dd16 in Scotland?
Im struggling to even get a GP appointment to discuss.

Is private recommended? What does this mean in regards medication?
Any advice appreciated. She's struggling a bit and I think a diagnosis would help her move forward with a plan and therapy.

There are quite a few Facebook groups for autism and ADHD in Scotland -worth joining as many in the same situation. I’ve seen people recommend Edinburgh practice. The downside of private diagnosis and prescriptions are that your GP can refuse to take over the prescription, there’s a long wait for nhs prescriptions.

if you join the fb groups, there are charities that can help too.

you could ask your GP what their position is on privately diagnosed ADHD medicine from x place.

the upside is obviously speed to get help at a
key educational age.

There’s Ausome, ASN parents, ADHD and autism Scotland. These questions come up frequently - much overlap between adhd and autism.

good luck, hope you manage to get good advice.

Where I am (Edinburgh) CAMHS seem to have given up on the diagnosis process completely as the waiting list was too long and instead staff are treating symptoms. If you want a diagnosis you’d have to get one privately.

I think the answer is if you can afford it is to go private and pay for prescriptions yourself if needed. Am aware this is a long term problem and inherently unreasonable. I think it’s adult services now if you are just starting and the waitlist is pretty much into infinity on the nhs. My daughter is 12 and waiting 2 years for an autism assessment. Just asked about it and they aren’t sure they’ll actually get to her before she ages out so if you can afford to throw money at it that’s honestly the only solution.

Thankyou folks.
I joined some Facebook pages. I think I'll need to get saving for private.

From my reading on RefHelp (guidance for NHS Lothian GPs - publicly available online) the GP is not allowed to take over a private prescription and has to refer to CAMHS. Doesn't help you much sadly.

definitely check with your GP surgery first, ours has a poster in the waiting room saying they don't accept private ADHD diagnosis!

First thing needed to get a diagnosis of ADHD is to have ADHD; it shouldn’t be taken as a given at the start of the process. That is not to say there is nothing but really you want an assessment that considers if there might be ‘something else’. That is an issue with some private ADHD assessors - they are unable to offer differential diagnosis (eg autism).

In terms of medication, if provided privately then a GP won’t be able to offer shared care. That is because shared care requires the prescribing consultant to retain responsibility and that cannot be guaranteed from a private provider.

Can you go down the Right to Choose route in Scotland? It’s NHS funded but shorter wait times, you chose the provider. We started the process in November and were diagnosed in the Feb with meds starting immediately. As it was RTC the GP takes over the care.

No. It doesn’t exist here.

has anybody used a private clinic in Edinburgh - and if so - which one? Would you recommend it?