How our service can help you
Update May 2026:
Due to demand, the National Adult ADHD and Autism Service remains closed to new national referrals at present. We will provide further updates as soon as possible.
Please note we remain open to Lambeth, Lewisham, Croydon, Southwark and Bromley, Greenwich and Bexley for complex referrals only.
Waiting times
The service is experiencing high demand and is booking assessment appointments for service users who have been waiting 5 years and 3 months [Updated May 2026]
Please be assured that our organisation is actively implementing initiatives to reduce waiting times. We are hopeful that these efforts will lead to shorter waits in the near future. Thank you for your continued understanding and trust in our care.
Please click here for information to support you while you wait.
What we offer:
All referrals must be clinically complex and require an enhanced assessment for diagnosis and/or treatment. Referrals that do not meet this criteria will not be accepted.
For non-complex assessment and/or treatment, please refer to your local service.
This service offers:
· enhanced ADHD diagnostic assessment for adults presenting with moderate to severe symptoms suggestive of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
· enhanced autism diagnostic assessment for adults presenting with moderate to severe symptoms suggestive of autism.
· ADHD and or autism reviews for people with clinically complex presentations.
· Initiation and titration of ADHD medication for clinically complex presentations.
· Second opinions - We do not offer second opinions if your initial assessment was completed within our pathway.
In-person appointments are held at the Maudsley Outpatient Department, Denmark Hill , London or via a secure Microsoft Teams virtual link.
For non-complex assessment and/or treatment, please refer to your local service.
Urgent support
The service is non-urgent and does not case/risk manage. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, you can find helpful advice here; How to get help in a mental health crisis . or call NHS 111.
- Service Borough Covers: National (Adult services) Treatment type: Outpatient
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Contact the service
Site Location: Maudsley Hospital Email: adhdasdadmin@slam.nhs.uk Phone Number: 020 3228 6791 -
Disabled Access:
Yes
- Address: Administration only Bethlem Royal Hospital 1st Floor Monks Orchard House Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, London, BR3 3BX Appointments In-person appointments are held at: Maudsley Outpatient Department Maudsley Hospital Denmark Hill London, SE5 8AZ,London, SE5 8AZ
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Business Hours/Visiting Hours:
Monday - Friday 9-5 excluding bank holidays.
- Conditions: Addictions, Anxiety, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar disorder, Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), Childhood degenerative disorders, Conduct disorder, Dementia, Depression, Dissociative disorders, Eating disorders, Learning disabilities, Neuropsychiatry, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Perinatal disorders, Persistent physical symptoms, Personality disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Psychosexual, Psychosis, Self-harm
Other essential information
- Referrals
- Enhanced diagnostic assessment
- Consultation
- Second opinion
- ADHD Treatment & Review
- Waiting list Information and support
- Our experts
- Resources
Referrals
Who can make a referral
All referrals must be made by an NHS clinician and the service user must meet the criteria of the service. We do not accept self-referrals.
Referrals can be made from across the UK.
As this is a tertiary service, clinical approval must be obtained from the service user’s local Integrated Care Board (ICB) to access this service.
Referral Form
Click here for a copy of the referral form
Email to: adhdasdadmin@slam.nhs.uk.
We are unable to process any incomplete forms – please complete in full.
Please ensure your service user fulfils our eligibility criteria before referring.
Eligibility criteria:
- 18+ Years
- Requires input from this enhanced service because
- Clinically complex and not suitable for a standard assessment from the local team (e.g. complex comorbidities)
- Requires a 2nd Opinion autism/ ADHD Assessment
- Need for prioritisation (SLaM/ local pathway ONLY)
- Cannot be seen locally for another reason
- Requires input relating to complex prescribing
If you are referring someone for ADHD treatment or review, please include details about:
- their ADHD or autism diagnosis,
- the full assessment report,
- explain why local mental health services can’t provide the support needed.
- Information about any treatments or interventions already tried and share the local care plan, especially if the person has complex needs or risks to themselves or others.
Every referral is checked by our team to see if our service is the right fit. If we think another type of support would be better, we’ll suggest what might help.
Enhanced diagnostic assessment
The infographic below shows the steps for a diagnostic pathway:
Appointments are available in-person or virtually via Microsoft Team’s secure platform. Appointments are offered based on clinical need and service user preference.
If the service user is unable to attend Maudsley Hospital and a virtual appointment is not suitable, an assessment at the service users location will be considered. This may be necessitated by physical or mental health concerns, or in cases where the individual is detained and a virtual assessment is not appropriate. Such arrangements are subject to clinical need and approval by the Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Information about your ADHD assessment: National Clinic - Information about your ADHD diagnostic assessment.pdf
Information about your Autism assessment: National Clinic - Information about your Autism diagnostic assessment.pdf
Link to our post diagnostic ADHD resources: SLAM -National ADHD resources- updated March 2026.pdf
Link to our post diagnostic Autism resources: SLaM Autism Booklet FINAL- updated March 2026.pdf
For information about our waiting list and support while you wait, please see the Waiting list Information and support tab
Consultation
Suitable for service users with an established ADHD & or autism diagnosis and complex presentation. This review may include review with the service user to consider recommendations in relation to management of side effects or the appropriate use of first, second or third line medications for the management of neurodevelopment condition and associated co-morbidities. It may include attending the service users' local MDT meeting for advice on management of ADHD and or autism; multiagency liaison and preparing reports to input into service user’s local care.
This does not include:
· Assessment for the presence or absence of Autism or ADHD
· Second opinion on diagnosis.
· Does not include medication or prescribing and is recommendations only.
Recommendations are made to the local referring team. 30min follow up appointments are available if required.
Second opinion
For service users seeking a second opinion on an existing ADHD or autism diagnosis. It may cover parts of the enhanced diagnostic assessment. Previous assessment details and treatments must be provided at referral.
We do not offer second opinions if your initial assessment was completed within our pathway.
ADHD Treatment & Review
Extended Review Assessment
A review suitable for people previously diagnosed with ADHD, either in childhood or adulthood.
This review assesses current symptoms and any coexisting conditions to provide tailored treatment recommendations. Please submit details of your previous assessments and treatments when referring.
If the person’s mental state or presentation has changed significantly, they may need a full assessment.
Initiation and titration of ADHD medication
Before making a referral for ADHD medication titration, please read:
- Pre-Titration and Primary Care Prescribing Handover Agreement. This will be required to ensure smooth transition back to the GP, for on-going prescribing once stabilised. We ask GPs to sign our titration agreement, before we begin prescribing any medication. This is separate from shared care arrangements.
- Our National Shared Care Agreement document.This National Adult ADHD and Autism Outpatient Clinic is a tertiary service and cannot sign local shared care agreements. We will only provide our national shared care agreement for patients who meet our eligibility criteria for complexity and require tertiary follow up. For non-complex patients, referrers are asked to refer directly to their locally commissioned adult ADHD service for any ongoing support required.
- Patient's Responsibilities during the Titration Period. We require the service user to sign up to their own responsibility agreement to participate in this pathway.
ADHD medication initiation and titration
This option is for the initiation and titration of ADHD medication for complex cases only.
Before starting, service users will be asked to confirm they agree with and will adhere to our service user responsibilities agreement. The package includes:
- An extended review assessment to review symptoms and determine suitability of medication,
- Up to 10* titration appointments
- Once the service user prescribing has been handed over to primary care, a 30 min follow-up appointment will be booked after 6 months, to review treatment and to consider if the service user can be stepped down to local ADHD services.
*If a change of medication is required which results in additional appointments being required, or on the occasion that more than 10 titration appointments are needed to titrate and stabilise the service user, we will seek ICB approval for additional sessions.
Prescriptions
We will provide prescriptions for ADHD medication only. Prescription will be sent to the service user’s nominated pharmacy via recorded delivery whilst titrating the service user. Once dosage is stabilised, ongoing prescribing will be handed over to the GP
National Shared Care Agreement
Once stabilised on ADHD medication, our clinician will review the clinical complexity of the case regarding their ADHD. If the case remains clinically complex, we will invite the GP and service user to enter into our National shared care arrangement. Please note, as a tertiary service we are unable to enter into any regional shared care arrangements.
Please see information about the National Shared Care Agreement for this clinic here.
If ongoing prescribing is no longer clinically complex and no longer meets the eligibility criteria for our service, we will discharge to the prescribing GP and recommend they contact their ADHD service for continued support in their local area.
Waiting list Information and support
Urgent support
The service is non-urgent and does not case/risk manage. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, you can find helpful advice here; How to get help in a mental health crisis . or call NHS 111.
Wait times:
People who are currently being offered an appointment have waited approximately: 5 years (Last updated 05 March 2025)
There has been increased demand for autism and ADHD services across the UK. This is partly because more people are realising they may be autistic or have ADHD and, understandably, want to be formally assessed. This has resulted in increased waiting times.
We recognise the current waiting times are unacceptable, as people should be receiving care and recognition in a timely manner. Our service is doing everything it can to reduce these waiting times. Despite this, our current waiting time is a number of years.
Support while you wait
National - While you are waiting - updated 20.01.2026.pdf
Support in work and education.
Under the Equality Act you do not need a formal diagnosis to be protected. The law focuses on impact, not label.
A medical report will not provide detailed reasonable adjustment recommendations for the workplace or education. Workplace or educational adjustments would need to be discussed and agreed directly between you and your employer/educational organisation.
This website has some useful information about your rights; Adjustments for neurodiversity - Reasonable adjustments at work - Acas The law focuses on barriers and disadvantages, not medical proof therefore you are entitled to reasonable adjustments.
You can also contact Access to work. The scheme is designed to support you based on the impact your condition has on your work. You do not need to be diagnosed with a condition to apply.
To apply, use the following link: Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: Apply for an Access to Work grant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Free webinar
We are offering a free webinar for anyone waiting for an ADHD and/or autism assessment with us. The webinar explains:
· What autism and ADHD is – and what it isn’t – including traits, strengths and common myths.
· Why waiting lists are long and what happens while you wait.
· Step- by -step guidance on the assessment process.
· Common co-occurring mental and physical health conditions.
· Legal rights under the Equality and Autism Acts
· Practical strategies for preparing and coping
· Expect quizzes, myth-busting real-life insights and a chance to ask your own questions.
· what to expect as well as support and rights.
The webinar has been co-produced and is co-delivered with an expert by experience and one of our Consultant Psychiatrists. Please see leaflet for more information and dates.
What to expect from the adult ADHD and Autism diagnostic pathway- 2026 leaflet.pdf