Has NHS Tayside stopped taking ADHD referrals?
For children without a co-existing mental health condition, yes. In March 2025 NHS Tayside paused new ADHD and autism referrals into CAMHS while a replacement pathway is designed. Around 2,500 children were already waiting for a first appointment, and the board's Chief Executive has acknowledged that a child joining now would likely wait more than ten years. Adult referrals are handled through general Community Mental Health Teams, where no separate waiting time is published.
What does a private ADHD assessment cost in Dundee?
£900 if paid in full, or from £225 per month on a payment plan. That covers the complete diagnostic pathway and your written report. Assessing ADHD and autism together costs £1,950 in full or £487 monthly, which works out cheaper than commissioning the two separately.
Can my child be assessed if CAMHS returned our referral?
Yes. A returned referral reflects what NHS Tayside is currently resourced to accept, not a clinical view on whether your child has ADHD. We assess children and young people up to 17 with no waiting list, and the report can be used for Additional Support Needs planning and exam access arrangements at school.
Will I need to travel from Dundee?
Usually not. Adult assessments are completed remotely as standard. For children, the parent interview and feedback session happen online, and only direct observation of your child may call for a visit to Edinburgh or Glasgow — both around 90 minutes away by train.
Can my GP take over prescribing afterwards?
Sometimes. Shared care depends on your individual GP practice and local policy. Because your diagnosis comes from a GMC-registered consultant psychiatrist working to DSM-5-TR and NICE NG87, it carries the same clinical standing as an NHS diagnosis. If your Tayside practice won't take on shared care, we can prescribe and titrate privately instead.
Is it possible to have ADHD and only find out as an adult?
Very much so — it describes a large share of our adult caseload. ADHD begins in childhood by definition, but it goes unrecognised in many people, particularly girls, children who compensate through academic ability, and those whose hyperactivity is internal restlessness rather than visible disruption.
Can autism be assessed at the same time?
Yes, and it often should be — the two co-occur frequently. We're among the few services covering Tayside able to assess both under one consultant-led pathway, which matters locally because NHS routes for the two conditions run separately with different waits.
What's the timescale from booking to report?
Typically two to six weeks end to end. The variables are your availability for appointments and how quickly informant information comes back. Set against a CAMHS pathway closed to new referrals and adult waits measured in years, the difference for Dundee patients is substantial.
