How long is the NHS ADHD waiting list in Aberdeen?
Freedom of Information data compiled in 2026 recorded a median wait of around 194 weeks — close to four years — for adult ADHD assessment in Aberdeen City, with 1,823 adults waiting, among the longest reported by any Scottish health board. Provision also differs across Grampian: Aberdeenshire has had no adult ADHD assessment service since February 2025, and Moray's adult ADHD waiting list has been frozen since September 2021. Our private service has no waiting list.
Is there any NHS ADHD service in Aberdeenshire?
No. Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership disbanded its adult autism and ADHD assessment pathway in February 2025 after Scottish Government funding ended, leaving Aberdeenshire adults without a local NHS assessment route. Around 1,000 adults were waiting for ADHD assessment at the point of closure. Aberdeen City continues to accept referrals, but with waits approaching four years.
How much does a private ADHD assessment cost for Aberdeen patients?
Our private ADHD assessment is £900 paid in full, or available on a monthly payment plan from £225 per month. The fee includes the full diagnostic pathway and your written report. If you'd like both ADHD and autism assessed together, a combined assessment is £1,950 pay-in-full or £487 per month — more cost-effective than booking each separately.
Do Aberdeen patients need to travel for the assessment?
No — most Grampian patients are assessed entirely online via secure video. Adult assessments are routinely completed remotely, which suits patients across Aberdeenshire and Moray as well as the city. For children, parent interviews and feedback sessions are online; only the direct child observation may require an in-person visit to our Edinburgh or Glasgow clinic, depending on the case.
Will my GP accept a private ADHD diagnosis and prescribe medication?
Shared care for ADHD medication varies by GP and health board. Our diagnoses are made by GMC-registered consultant psychiatrists who are members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, using DSM-5-TR criteria and NICE NG87 standards, so they are clinically equivalent to an NHS diagnosis. Note that NHS Grampian has at times restricted starting new patients on ADHD medication because of UK-wide supply pressures. Where your Grampian GP is unable to take on shared care, we can prescribe and titrate medication privately through our regulated service.
Can adults be diagnosed with ADHD for the first time?
Yes. A large proportion of our adult patients are diagnosed for the first time in their 20s, 30s, 40s or later. ADHD does not develop in adulthood — but it is frequently missed in childhood, especially in girls, in academically high-achieving children, and in those whose hyperactivity presents as inattention or internal restlessness. Adult-first diagnosis is one of our specialist areas.
Do you assess both ADHD and autism?
Yes. ADHD and autism frequently co-occur, and we assess both within a single consultant-led pathway. This matters particularly in Grampian, where the disbanded Aberdeenshire pathway covered both conditions and where adults who suspect both would otherwise face two separate NHS routes with different waits.
How long does the ADHD assessment process take?
From your first appointment to receiving the written report, the full process typically takes between two and six weeks, depending on your availability for clinical sessions and how quickly informant information can be gathered. Compared with waits approaching four years in Aberdeen City, our pathway is designed to give Grampian patients clarity quickly.
