careadhd.co.uk

I was first referred to CARE ADHD in January 2025 under NHS Right to Choose. I already held an ADHD

I was first referred to CARE ADHD in January 2025 under NHS Right to Choose. I already held an ADHD diagnosis and was seeking treatment.

Despite CARE ADHD's own published Revalidation (NHS Right to Choose) policy clearly stating that existing diagnoses can be reviewed via a structured clinical review rather than a full reassessment, I was discharged shortly after my referral was accepted - without anyone asking to see or review my diagnostic report, or requesting any supporting documentation. I was simply told I would need a full re-diagnosis.

This forced a second GP referral, a months-long wait for it to be accepted, and an entirely new diagnostic assessment that was not completed until late September 2025. That is approximately eight months of avoidable delay, and in my view an avoidable use of NHS funds - particularly when the service repeatedly cites high national demand to justify waits elsewhere.
Since submitting my titration form on 30 October 2025, the estimated wait has been revised upward every single time I have chased for an update. First I was told 2 weeks. Then 10–14 weeks. It has now been over 23 weeks with no appointment scheduled. Every revised estimate has only come in response to my own follow-up - never proactively.

In December 2025, after I proactively chased, I was told I would be "contacted automatically as soon as your case moves to the next stage." A week later, an email was sent asking me to complete further titration forms - with no mention in the earlier reply that forms were imminent. No reminder or follow-up was sent by CARE ADHD in the two months that followed, during which my case simply sat inert. For a service where a single outstanding form blocks all progress toward treatment, the complete absence of safety-netting or follow-up contact is a serious procedural gap.

I have now been waiting over 14 months to begin treatment for a diagnosed condition with documented functional impairment. I have been polite and cooperative in every interaction. I have only escalated to a formal complaint after exhausting informal routes. The impact on my day-to-day life has been real and ongoing.

I am sharing this publicly in the hope that it may help other patients understand what to expect from this service, and in the hope that CARE ADHD will take communication, proactive follow-up, and adherence to their own published policies more seriously.

Date of experience: Apr 10, 2026