Reading ADHD Group

31/08/2026

Know someone currently coach-shopping? Send them this before they spend any money.

Anyone can legally call themselves an 'ADHD coach.'

No government body licenses ADHD coaches in the UK.

Anyone can use the title

Look for an ICF credential (general coaching competence) and/or a PAAC credential (ADHD-specific competence).

ADDCA is a well-known ADHD coach training provider accredited by both, and training there is a good sign

Before you pay money for a coach ask them: How were you trained? are you ICF and/or PAAC accredited? and can I see it?

Its worth mentioning that there are some amazing coaches out there who are not accredited. But before you hire one – Do your homework.

30/08/2026

Let us know in the comments what your worst or most frequent ADHD tax is.

28/08/2026

Get everything in writing.
Here is a template you can copy, fill in, and send to your GP
before you pay for anything.

A verbal conversation with your GP leaves no record.
If your GP later changes their position on shared care
or says they never agreed to the referral
you have nothing to refer back to.
Send this as a letter or through your GP's online consultation system.
Keep a copy.

Dear [GP name],

I would like to ask about ADHD assessment and treatment
before I go ahead with a Right to Choose referral.

I am considering a referral to [clinic name]
under NHS Right to Choose.

Before I proceed, I'd like to check two things:

1) Would the practice be willing to make this referral under Right to Choose?

2) If I am diagnosed and my medication is stabilised by the specialist,
would the practice accept a shared care agreement
to continue prescribing and carry out annual reviews?

I'd be grateful for a clear answer in writing before I go ahead.

27/08/2026

This is the step that catches people out.
Ask your GP about shared care
before you start your assessment.
Not after.

Shared care is a formal agreement
where your GP takes over prescribing your ADHD medication
after your specialist has diagnosed you
and stabilised you on medication.
Without it the specialist continues to prescribe (at private cost)

Not all GP practices in accept shared care for ADHD medication.
There is real variation practice to practice.

A GP is not legally obliged to accept shared care.
You need to know your practice's position before you start.

Ask your GP about shared care in writing before you pay for anything.

Ask two specific questions:
One — will the practice make this Right to Choose referral?
Two — if I am diagnosed and stabilised on medication,
will the practice accept shared care?
Get both answers in writing.

27/08/2026

Reading ADHD Group are offering lunch and learns during the month of October (ADHD Awareness Month).

We are offering a 15-minute talk on ADHD in work followed by a Q & A. The talks can be delivered in person or online.

The talks are free, but we appreciate donations

Get in touch to find out more.

26/08/2026

Here are the three things you must check
before you commit to anything.

The provider must hold an NHS Standard Contract for ADHD assessment.
This is what makes it Right to Choose and free.
Without it you are paying privately
even if the clinic says Right to Choose on its website.
Ask the clinic directly: do you hold an NHS Standard Contract for ADHD assessment?
Get the answer in writing.

The provider must be CQC registered.
CQC is the Care Quality Commission
the independent regulator of health services in England.
You can check any provider at cqc.org.uk.
If they are not on there, do not proceed.
This is the one people miss.

The provider must have a shared care pathway back to a GP.
That means they have a process for handing your prescription
back to your GP after diagnosis and stabilisation.
Without this you may pay for medication privately indefinitely.
Ask before you commit.

All three checks done?
Move to Step 3 (shared care) before you pay for anything.

Shared coming tomorrow

24/08/2026

Right to Choose is a legal right.
But it comes with conditions.
Here is what needs to be in place
before you ask your GP for a referral.

Right to Choose applies if:
You are an adult registered with a GP in England.
You are seeking your first ADHD assessment.
You want to be referred to an NHS-funded provider.

Right to Choose does not remove
your GP's clinical judgement from the process.
Your GP still needs to agree
that an assessment is clinically appropriate for you.

A Right to Choose referral gets you to an assessment.
It does not guarantee a diagnosis.
ADHD assessments are clinical processes
using established diagnostic criteria.
The outcome depends on that clinical process

Right to Choose covers your first assessment.
It does not automatically cover follow-up care,
medication management, or ongoing support.

22/08/2026

In Berkshire and Oxfordshire,
local NHS adult ADHD services
are currently paused to new referrals.
This does not mean ADHD support is unavailable.
It means the local pathway is under pressure.

Right to Choose is a legal right
under the NHS Constitution.
It allows you to ask your GP
to refer you to a different NHS-funded provider
for your first assessment.
It is free.
It does not bypass clinical judgement.
Your GP still needs to agree
the referral is clinically appropriate.

There are five steps:
One — check Right to Choose applies to you.
Two — find a provider and check it carefully.
Three — ask your GP about shared care before you start.
Four — put everything in writing.
Five — understand the reasons you might be refused

https://readingadhdgroup.org/resources/

20/08/2026

Channel 4's The Great ADHD Myth? got one thing right and left a fair bit out. We've put together a short response.

Our response to Channel 4’s documentary, what it got right, what it missed, and how you can make your voice heard with ADHD UK. Channel 4’s The Great ADHD Myth? got one thing right. Sch…

18/08/2026

The documentary wasn’t wrong; schools are not set up for neurodivergent kids.

There is still so much wrong with the framing.
Stimulant medications have been shown to help with on average:

The reduction of car accidents
The reduction of criminal offences
And improve the overall quality of people’s life.

Here is a link for anyone who wishes to complain to Ofcom
https://adhduk.co.uk/challenging-c4-the-great-adhd-myth/

Channel 4

Update: 18th August. Post-Broadcast.