Guidance for general practice

Please ensure that:

• The patient is aged 18 or over
• The patient is registered with your GP practice
• The patient has given consent for referral
• ADHD is suspected and is causing at least moderate functional impairment

Referrals that do not meet these criteria, or are missing required information, may be returned.

Please do not refer patients who:

• Are under 18
• Are not registered with your GP practice
• Have a moderate to severe learning disability
• Are experiencing an acute mental health crisis or require urgent care
• Have active untreated psychosis or have attempted suicide within the last three months
• Require face to face assessment only
• Do not consent to referral

These patients should be directed to more appropriate pathways, such as the Crisis Team or CMHT.

To avoid delays, please include:

• Confirmation that the patient is registered with your GP practice
• A lifelong developmental history, not screening scores alone
• A completed Childhood Screening Questionnaire
• Current and previous medication history
• Details of any involvement with secondary mental health services
• Relevant risk or safeguarding information
• A measure of overall functioning
• A crisis plan, if applicable
• Any supporting reports, such as EHCPs or occupational therapy reports

Incomplete referrals may be returned for further information.

Baseline physical health information is required to support assessment and treatment:

• Pulse, blood pressure and BMI
• ECG
• Blood tests including FBC, U and Es, LFTs and TFTs

These may be requested after referral acceptance. Delays in providing this information may delay assessment or treatment.

• A referral does not guarantee a diagnosis or medication
• Diagnosis requires evidence of lifelong symptoms alongside functional impairment
• Appointments are usually delivered virtually
• Referrals may be prioritised based on clinical need, for example ages 18 to 25, risk to education or employment, or complex presentations

• Diagnosis and medication initiation take place in secondary care
• Once stabilised, patients are discharged to their GP under a shared care agreement
• Under shared care, GPs are responsible for:
  • Ongoing prescribing
  • Annual medication reviews
  • Physical health monitoring

Advice and guidance are available from the service for up to three months after discharge. After this, a new GP referral is required.