How do I get an NHS ADHD assessment in Edinburgh?

In Edinburgh, NHS ADHD assessment is provided by NHS Lothian. You need a GP referral, you cannot self-refer to NHS services. Speak to your GP, describe your symptoms with specific examples, mention that symptoms have been present since childhood, and ask for a referral to the neurodevelopmental or adult psychiatry service for assessment.

How long is the NHS ADHD waiting time in Edinburgh?

NHS ADHD waiting times in NHS Lothian (which covers Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, and West Lothian) are significant, with most adults currently waiting several years from referral to assessment. See the ADHD Scot NHS waiting times page for current reported figures.

How much does private ADHD assessment cost in Edinburgh?

Private ADHD assessment in Edinburgh typically costs between £800 and £2,000 for adults, with variation depending on the provider and type of assessment. Always ask for a full written breakdown of what is included, as total costs typically include the assessment, titration, reviews, and potentially prescription fees if shared care is not available.

ADHD assessment in Edinburgh: NHS and private

Where Lothian stands

NHS ADHD and autism assessment for the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, and West Lothian is provided by NHS Lothian, which serves a combined population of around 935,000 (NRS mid-2025 estimate).

NHS Lothian's reply to our second Freedom of Information request (20 October 2026, ref 11950) gives a median adult wait of 175 weeks, about three years and four months, with 13,253 adults on the list, 7,315 of whom have waited more than two years. For under-18s (CAMHS), the median wait is 139 weeks, with 12,562 waiting. Together that is 25,815 people on Lothian's combined lists (our sum). In July 2026 the figures were 177 weeks and 12,769 adults, and 141.5 weeks and 12,275 under-18s. The board cannot separate ADHD from autism in its records, so every figure covers both conditions together. Board-by-board comparisons are on our NHS waiting times page, and the full response is in our FOI tracker.

None of this means a referral is pointless — but it does mean it is worth understanding the whole picture before deciding how to proceed.

How the adult pathway works

For adults, everything starts with your GP, who refers you to adult psychiatry or a specialist neurodevelopmental service — our NHS Lothian page walks through the pathway step by step. NHS Lothian publishes referral guidelines for adult ADHD through its RefHelp system, which GPs use to decide where a referral should go. Those guidelines specifically mention the WFIRS-S (Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale, Self Report) as a way of showing how symptoms affect daily life.

To give your referral the best chance:

Give specific examples of how symptoms affect your work, studies, home life, and relationships — not just "I struggle to focus"
Explain that symptoms have been present since childhood, even if nobody recognised them at the time
Complete our ADHD self-screener or autism screener beforehand so you have something concrete to bring along
Consider completing a WFIRS-S as well, since NHS Lothian's own GP referral guidance names it
Ask explicitly for a referral to adult psychiatry or the neurodevelopmental service for assessment

If your GP is reluctant, you can ask them to explain why, and you can ask to see another GP in the practice.

Referring a child or young person

In Lothian, referrals for under-18s do not have to come from a GP. NHS Lothian CAMHS says: “Referrals usually come from general practitioners, health visitors, social workers or from schools. They need to ask your permission before contacting us.” (NHS Lothian CAMHS) Scotland's National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People says: “Understanding of support needs can be enhanced by diagnosis but should not wait for diagnosis.” You can ask the school for help while a referral is pending.

Support that does not depend on a diagnosis

With waits this long, what you can access in the meantime matters. NHS Lothian's neurodiversity team provides information, resources, and some forms of support without requiring a formal diagnosis. The Scottish ADHD Coalition lists ADHD support groups in Scotland on its local groups page. Our support page links to the main national organisations.

Private assessment in Edinburgh

Our compare tool (checked 20 October 2026) lists 10 providers with an in-person clinic in Edinburgh, and 19 providers that offer online assessment; check which conditions each one assesses. Adult ADHD assessment prices listed in our compare tool range from £650 to £2,050 (checked 20 October 2026); confirm the current price with the provider.

Key things to consider when choosing a private provider:

HIS registration: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is Scotland's regulator for private healthcare. Registration means the service is assessed against HIS standards, with ongoing oversight and periodic inspection; a recently registered service may not yet have a published inspection report. Not every provider has to register: HIS told us that a service which does not “employ, engage, or grant practising privileges to” one of the listed healthcare professionals (such as a doctor, nurse or pharmacist) “is not required to register with HIS”, and England-based providers offering online services to patients in Scotland and already regulated by the CQC do not need to register with HIS as well. Our regulation page explains what this means, and you can filter by HIS status on our compare tool.

Shared care support: If you receive a private ADHD diagnosis and are prescribed medication, you will pay for private prescriptions at first. You can ask your NHS GP whether they will take over prescribing (NHS prescriptions in Scotland are free). There is no NHS Scotland policy on shared care: SPICe, the Scottish Parliament research service, says the decision “is at the clinical discretion of the GP”, and health boards’ guidance differs. See our shared care guide for the details and sources.

Assessment method: NAIT’s guidance on prescribing after a private diagnosis lists what a GP may look for in an assessment, including “collateral information from someone who knows the individual” and information on “historical childhood presentation”. Our compare tool shows which providers say they use validated tools and collateral information.

Find private providers near Edinburgh →

After a diagnosis

ADHD medication

If you receive an ADHD diagnosis and are prescribed medication privately, you can ask your NHS GP whether they will take over prescribing. There is no NHS Scotland policy on shared care: the decision “is at the clinical discretion of the GP” (SPICe), and health boards’ guidance differs. Our shared care guide explains the options and what to do if your GP says no.

Support for autistic people

Following an autism diagnosis, Edinburgh City Council's social care and health services coordinates adult support, and organisations such as Autism Initiatives Scotland provide support specifically for autistic adults. Our after diagnosis page has more guidance on next steps, and our autism assessment in Edinburgh guide covers the autism pathway in more depth.

Useful links

ADHD self-screener — takes around five minutes; useful before your GP appointment
Autism screener — validated adult autism self-report tool
WFIRS-S — the functional impairment scale named in NHS Lothian's GP referral guidance
Compare private providers — filter by location, cost, HIS status, and more
NHS waiting times — current reported wait times across Scottish health boards
Shared care guide — what to do after a private diagnosis
Going private — a full guide to private ADHD assessment in Scotland
Autism assessment in Edinburgh — our autism-specific guide

ADHD and autism assessment in Edinburgh