ADHD Care Should Be Fair

It really is that simple

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At Beyond Diagnosis (BDx), there is a principle behind everything we are trying to build:

People with ADHD deserve to be treated fairly.

Getting an ADHD diagnosis can already be a long and difficult process. For some people, it comes after years of knowing that something wasn't quite adding up. Then, after finally getting answers, they discover another set of hurdles waiting for them — accessing treatment, navigating NHS and private services, understanding Shared Care, finding support and working out what they are actually entitled to ask for.

We don't think people should have to become experts in the healthcare system just to get appropriate help.

Private shouldn't mean private forever

There are many reasons someone might choose a private ADHD assessment. NHS waiting lists are one of them.

But choosing to pay privately for an assessment shouldn't automatically mean committing yourself to years of private healthcare costs.

Where ADHD medication is appropriate, private treatment can involve the cost of specialist appointments, titration, private prescriptions and the medication itself. For someone who needs long-term treatment, those costs matter.

That's why we believe people should be supported to explore NHS Shared Care wherever it is clinically appropriate and available.

A private ADHD diagnosis does not automatically prevent someone from being accepted onto an NHS Shared Care arrangement.

Neither, however, is Shared Care guaranteed. A GP has to be willing to accept the arrangement and take responsibility for their part of your ongoing care.

That's an important distinction — but it doesn't mean you shouldn't ask questions.

Sometimes you have to advocate for yourself

If you're told that Shared Care isn't possible, it's reasonable to ask why.

Is there a local policy?

Is additional information needed from your ADHD clinician?

Does your GP have a particular clinical concern?

Would they reconsider once your medication has been stabilised and the appropriate monitoring has been completed?

Being an advocate for yourself doesn't mean being confrontational.

It means being informed, asking reasonable questions and, sometimes, being prepared to politely stand your ground.

People with ADHD can already find paperwork, appointments, telephone calls and complicated healthcare pathways difficult to navigate. The system shouldn't become another barrier to receiving appropriate treatment.

We don't want to keep people paying privately when they don't need to

This is important to us.

BDx isn't being built around keeping people dependent on private services for as long as possible.

If you can safely and appropriately move part of your ongoing care into the NHS through Shared Care, we believe you should have the opportunity to explore that.

If Shared Care isn't available and you still need private prescribing, BDx can link you with an appropriate prescriber where needed.

But private prescribing should be an option — not something people feel trapped into because nobody has explained the alternatives.

Beyond the diagnosis

Fair ADHD care isn't just about getting somebody through an assessment.

It's about what happens afterwards.

It's understanding your diagnosis.

It's knowing what your options are.

It's being able to ask questions.

It's having access to support.

And it's being treated like an active participant in decisions about your own care.

That's what Beyond Diagnosis means to us.

Get the assessment. Understand your options. Find the right support. And don't be afraid to advocate for yourself.

Beyond Diagnosis (BDx)

Understand more. Live better.

This article provides general information rather than individual medical or legal advice. Shared Care is subject to individual clinical decisions and local NHS arrangements, and acceptance cannot be guaranteed.