Welcome to the ADHD Assessment Service

Hi. We’re Vertis Health.

We’ve received your referral for an ADHD Assessment via NHS Right to Choose from your GP. Thanks for trusting us with your care.

Here, you’ll find all the information you need - including what to expect at each step of the assessment process. We’ll be in touch soon with more information, including your first appointment date - so please bear with us as we review your medical history and any information provided as part of your referral.

Step one: Clinical Review.

If you’ve just received a message telling you that you’ve been referred into the service - great! That means we’re processing your referral from your GP. One of our expert clinicians will now review (or “triage”) your medical record and check for any red flags, or anything we need to take into account when considering an ADHD diagnosis.

This might include, for instance, underlying heart conditions or neurological issues that change the way your ADHD needs to be managed - and which clinician is best to handle your care.

(In some cases, this might show afterwards as an “appointment” in your NHS App - but that’s just the time our clinician had scheduled to review your records… So don’t worry! You didn’t miss anything.)

Once this is complete, if you’re good to go, we’ll be in touch via SMS with a series of questionnaires. One is a “tick box” questionnaire that asks you to select answers from a range of options.

Another questionnaire will ask you for longer answers to questions about your life with ADHD, your coping strategies, and real-life examples of your symptoms.

Please make sure you answer all of these fully so you can get the best from your appointment.

Unless it’s not clinically appropriate for us to assess you for ADHD, we’ll most likely invite you for an assessment - so please be honest with your questionnaire answers, and don’t feel the need to overthink it.

If you’re unable to receive text messages, please contact our dedicated ADHD line on 01905 671753 and a member of our team will be able to help.

Step two: Your assessment.

Once you submit your questionnaires, it will be reviewed by a member of our clinical team. If they need to conduct any further tests (such as an ECG), they may invite you for a checkup at our office in Redditch to make sure everything’s okay.

Otherwise, you’ll be invited for a video appointment with one of our specialist clinicians. In most cases, this will take place over the course of two hours - either as one continuous session (with a short break in between), or over two separate dates.

This depends on whether you’re looking to initiate medication as part of your treatment, if you’re diagnosed; and anything identified in your initial clinical review.

The first hour will involve a conversation about the impact ADHD symptoms have had on your life.

In the second hour, we’ll discuss the outcome of the initial conversation - and, if you’re diagnosed with ADHD, next steps. This might include initiating medication - in which case, if appropriate, they’ll put in place a plan for treatment.

Whether or not you’re diagnosed with ADHD, your medical record will be updated accordingly and your GP will be notified.

If you’re prescribed medication after your ADHD diagnosis, you’ll need to attend a series of follow-up titration telephone appointments. These will occur at 4, 8 and 12 weeks, to see if and how your medication is working for you and if any changes need to be made.

You’ll also need to provide us with a pulse and blood pressure reading between each of these appointments, in response to the text reminder you’ll receive. More information on these readings can be found below.

And then, next steps.

Pulse and blood pressure testing.

If you’d like to be treated with medication, you’ll need to provide us with a pulse and blood pressure reading as part of your ADHD assessment pathway. You can do this in one of two ways:

  • Visit a local pharmacy: Most NHS pharmacies will test your blood pressure and pulse for free. You can check whether your local pharmacy offers this service - or find one that does - by clicking here.

  • Self-test at home: If you have a blood pressure testing machine at home, you can use this. Please test three times, and send us your average reading.

Reminders and Cancellations

You will receive text reminders 3 days and 24 hours before your appointment. Please check these carefully and cancel or reschedule if you cannot attend.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, please call 01905 671753, or click the link in your appointment reminder text.

Please cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Late cancellations or missed appointments may lead to delays in your treatment.

If you cancel or reschedule in time, we’ll offer you one rebooked appointment.

If you miss your appointment without notice, we will:

  • Notify your GP

  • Record it as a “Did Not Attend” (DNA)

  • You may not be rebooked unless your GP refers you again

Missed appointments reduce availability for others and delay care. Your ADHD review is a vital part of keeping your treatment safe and effective.

Need help in the meantime?

There are a number of other local services available to support you while you’re waiting for your appointment - so if you need support, you can visit any of the below.

  • Need urgent mental health support? You can call the Worcestershire Crisis Team 24/7 on 0808 196 9127

  • Sometimes, you just need to have a chat with someone. NHS Herefordshire & Worcestershier Talking Therapies is a free self-referral service where you can talk to a member of the team trained and experienced in supporting people through common mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety or low mood.

    For self referral, click here

    For urgent help, click here

  • Cranstoun can provide you with the help and support you need to battle your drug and alcohol problems, and enable you to improve and rebuild your life after managing addiction.

    You can self-refer to Cranstoun by completing a self-referral form, found by clicking here.

  • The NHS website provides a wide range of advice for both drug and alcohol concerns, including other services you can self-refer into for specific worries.

    For alcohol support, click here

    For drug addiction support, click here

  • If you’ve been referred to us for the medication element of your journey, you may find it beneficial to join an ADHD support group to help you manage with your new diagnosis. Support groups allow you to discuss your feelings and concerns with others who may also have similar experiences, as well as speaking to experts who can provide advice and guidance.

    To visit the ADHD UK website, click here

    To visit the Adult ADHD websitie, click here