Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment

ADHD is a condition which affects your concentration and patience. You might find that you’re more impulsive and easily distracted, and you find it difficult to focus at work, in school and in relationships.

Having ADHD shouldn’t stop you from keeping your independence. Although there's no cure for the condition, your symptoms may improve as you get older but it depends from person to person.

Read the full list of ADHD symptoms on the NHS website (opens new browser tab)

Watch our Introduction to ADHD video to learn more about the condition and the treatments we offer.

Watch our Introduction to ADHD video on our YouTube channel (opens new browser tab)

At our Adult ADHD Shared Care clinic in Reading we can help you in different ways, such as:

• Providing a full assessment of your ADHD condition to better understand your situation
• Working with your GP to prescribe you medication, and tracking your progress throughout the year
• Guiding you to other services and patient communities that can help with your questions and experiences

Depending on your assessment with us, we may be able to offer you access to our six week psychoeducation and support group programme for advice on living with ADHD.

We may also offer a one-to-one strategy session for advice about self-help and strategy development

Reading

Our Adult ADHD Shared Care clinic is based in Reading. 

25 Erleigh Road
Reading
RG1 5LR

Call 0118 9044600

Call 0118 929 6477

We’re open from 8:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. 

Our mental health teams and services, including Talking Therapies, are available if you need support. 

Find out how to access mental health support 

You can also find resources and guides on our website to help you if you need more advice.  

Resources to help with your mental health wellbeing

Our information leaflets cover the many ways ADHD may affect parts of your day to day life.

The information here is intended only as a guide, so if you do wish to know more please speak to your GP or health professional.

About ADHD and our service

• What is ADHD? (pdf)
• ADHD information for GPs (pdf)
• Our Service Pathway (pdf)
• ADHD in Women (pdf)
• Childhood diagnosis (pdf)
• Treatment for Clients Referred with an Existing Diagnosis of ADHD (pdf)
• Further Resources (pdf)

Urgent help

• Suicide (pdf)
• Medication FAQs (pdf)

Lifestyle

• Cannabis use (pdf)
• Support for carers (pdf)
• Driving (pdf)
• ADHD in Education (pdf)
• Hyperactivity and Impulsivity (pdf)
• Menopause (pdf)
• Managing mood (pdf)
• Relationships (pdf)
• Sleep (pdf)
• Strategies to Support Inattention (pdf)
• Work (pdf)

How much longer will I be waiting for an assessment?

The Adult ADHD Diagnostic Waitlist is currently over 4 years from time of referral  

The Adult ADHD medication waitlist is currently approximately 1 year from time of referral. 

I have been referred but I have not heard anything?

Due to demand we are 6 months behind processing ADHD referrals. We will get to your referral in the order it has been received. Our first contact with you will be to request that you complete some questionnaire online to determine suitability for a diagnostic assessment.   

Can my referral be prioritised?

Please see our website for details as to whether you might meet our priority criteria. Please be aware that very few clients can be prioritised.

Read our Policy on ADHD and Autism Prioritisation for Assessment (pdf)

I have a childhood diagnosis, can I access medication for ADHD from the Adult ADHD service?

If you were referred by the Berkshire Children and Young People (CYP)  ADHD team and you were taking medication at your last appointment with them aged 18 years then they will have transitioned your care to us. Please see your GP with queries in the first instance and we will offer you a medication review appointment when available.

If you were not transitioned from the CYP team, in order to understand how ADHD affects you as an adult, we will need to reassess your individual needs. The wait for a reassessment is shorter and we will be in touch with you as soon as an appointment is available. Please see the links for further information. 

Read our Childhood diagnosis guide (pdf)

I have a private diagnosis, can I access medication for ADHD from the Adult ADHD service?

In many cases we can use a previous diagnostic report. Please ensure that this is included with your referral from or submit this to us and we will include this when we triage your referral. The wait time for medication will still apply.

Read our Treatment for Clients Referred with an Existing Diagnosis of ADHD (pdf) 

I cannot access my usual ADHD medication, can you prescribe me something else?

We cannot see clients whose prescribing is being managed by a GP. The GP can write to us for advice.

Read our news story about ADHD medication July 2024  

What support can I access while on the waitlist?

Autism Berkshire is a local charity that offers support for autistic people and their families

Visit the Autism Berkshire website (new browser tab)

For information and advice about ADHD please see our website

Visit our Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment service page 

We do not manage risk or offer support for clients on our waitlist. 

For other queries, you can email neuropsychology and we will respond to you within 10 working days.

Email Neuropsychology@berkshire.nhs.uk

To access our service, you must be registered with a GP in Berkshire.  

Referral to our service can be made by your GP or your care professional if you’re already receiving care from one of our local mental health services. All our assessments are by appointment only.

Unfortunately, we don’t accept self referrals.

Read the Policy on ADHD and Autism Prioritisation for Assessment (pdf)

Neurodiversity passport

Our Neurodiversity Passport can help you communicate your needs to our staff. It covers sensory processing, your communication preferences, and topics that might make you feel anxious and overwhelmed, so that we can support you.   

Read about our neurodiversity passport