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Adult ADHD Services

  • Our Adult ADHD service provides an assessment, diagnostic and treatment service to adults over the age of 18 who have a GP registered in Bexley, Bromley, or Greenwich. 

    Please note: Our wait times are an estimate and can vary, 

    Therefore, we can take a few days to respond but please be assured we endeavour to respond to all queries.

    National demand for ADHD services 

    ADHD services across the UK, including ours, are seeing much higher demand. This is due to increased awareness of ADHD and growing demand for medication support. As more people seek assessments, reviews and treatment, NHS teams are under significant pressure, which means there may be delays in accessing our service. We are working hard to manage this demand and support patients.
    Improving how we communicate with patients is an important part of our ongoing service improvement work. We understand that waiting for updates can be difficult, and we are continuing to look at ways to make our processes clearer, quicker and easier to access
    Thank you for your patience and understanding. Your wellbeing matters to us, and we remain committed to improving the service we provide. If you are waiting, we will contact you when you reach the top of the queue.

    We are not a crisis service

    If you're in crisis, please contact the Oxleas Crisis Line on 0800 330 8590, call 111 option 2 or go to your local A&E Department. 

    Do you have feedback you'd like to share with us?

    Let us know by taking our short patient experience survey.

  • Service hours: Our current wait times are approximately: ADHD assessment — 19 months ADHD medication review — 24 months

Our team

Our ADHD team are made up of specialist professionals including doctors, nurse prescribers, assistant psychologists, ADHD practitioners and administrators.

We cover the areas of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich and are responsible for the assessment and treatment of ADHD for adults over the age of 18 who are not open to secondary mental health teams.

We are currently based Carlton Parade in Orpington, Kent.

Clients are assessed either on site at Carlton Parade or online via Microsoft Teams.

Clients are reviewed either on site at Carlton Parade, online via Microsoft Teams or via telephone.

Our aims

We are commissioned by the SEL ICB to carry out ADHD assessments and provide treatment through medication and psychoeducation.

We offer:

  • Full robust ADHD assessments using DIVA-5
  • Initiation of medication with regular medication reviews
  • Annual medication reviews for clients who have been diagnosed and are under shared care.
  • Specialist reviews and advice when requested by GP’s and other health care professionals.
  • Psychoeducation groups focusing on understanding your symptoms and evidence based coping strategies.

Medication

Once your medication has been stabilised, our service can continue prescribing for up to three months. After this period, prescribing is transferred to your GP. This approach is necessary because of the high demand on our service and our responsibility to offer treatment to patients who have not yet started medication but need it.

Shared Care Agreement

Both you and your GP have the right to decline a shared care agreement. If a shared care agreement is not accepted, we will provide up to three months of prescriptions to allow you time to make alternative arrangements. Some patients choose to register with a GP practice that is able to take over prescribing. Unfortunately, due to national demand on ADHD services, we are unable to continue prescribing beyond this three-month period.

To avoid delays, if you are beginning the medication pathway, we strongly recommend that you contact your GP as early as possible to check whether they are willing to enter into a shared care agreement.

How to access this service

The Adult ADHD Service offers assessment, diagnosis and treatment for adults aged 18 and over who are registered with a GP in Bexley, Bromley or Greenwich.

We are not able to accept referrals for people who are currently receiving care from secondary mental health services. This is to make sure your care is joined‑up, as your existing community mental health team is responsible for providing ADHD assessment or treatment while you are under their care.

Due to very high demand for ADHD services across the NHS, we are unable to offer second‑opinion assessments. This allows us to focus our capacity on people who have not yet had an ADHD assessment or access to treatment.

If you would like to be referred to the Adult ADHD Service, please contact your GP, who will refer you through the appropriate pathway.

Referrals

We have three referral routes, depending on the type of support you need.

1. First‑time ADHD assessments

If you have never had an ADHD assessment and are not experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties, your GP should refer you to the South East London (SEL) ADHD Referral Triage Service.

2. ADHD assessments with mental health needs

If you need an ADHD assessment and are experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties, your GP should refer you to your local Mental Health Hub. The Hub will carry out a triage appointment to confirm the most appropriate pathway and any additional support you may need.

3. Medication referrals

A medication referral is needed if you:

  • want to start ADHD medication
  • are receiving ADHD medication privately and wish to transfer to NHS care
  • need a shared care annual review

Your GP should refer you via your local Mental Health Hub.

Please note: If your ADHD diagnosis was made outside Oxleas, your GP must provide a full diagnostic report. This is because ADHD medication can only be prescribed when the diagnostic assessment meets national standards and uses recognised, evidence-based tools.

If a full diagnostic report cannot be provided, or if it does not meet the required criteria, you may need to undergo a new NHS ADHD assessment before medication can be considered. 

 

How to contact this service

Please be advised we are in high demand and not an urgent care crisis service. Therefore, we can take a few days to respond but please be assured we endeavour to respond to all queries.
For general enquiries and assessment related information

Please email us: oxl-tr.adultadhd@nhs.net

For medication and follow up treatment related queries

Please email: oxl-tr.adultadhdmedication@nhs.net

For urgent queries

Please call us:01689 892 363

Please note: We are not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, please contact the Oxleas Crisis Line on 0800 330 8590, call 111 option 2 or go to your local A&E Department.

Our opening times

We're open Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm (excluding public holidays) - please note we only offer appointments during these hours.

Contact information for General Practitioners and Healthcare Professionals:

Assessments

Email: oxl-tr.seladhdreferraltriage@nhs.net

Tel: 0208 308 3110

Treatment -  including medication and psychoeducation

Bexley Mental Health Hub

Email:   oxl-tr.referralsbexley@nhs.net

Tel: 0203 668 9490

Bromley Mental Health Hub

Email: oxl-tr.bromleymentalhealthhub@nhs.net

Tel: 020 8659 2151 - select option two

Greenwich Mental Health Hub

Email : oxl-tr.gmhhreferrals@nhs.net

Tel: 0208 301 8960

Useful information

There are a range of support resources available both before and after assessment. Below, we’ve listed a selection recommended by our patients and clinicians:

  1. What is ADHD? Produced by East London NHS Foundation Trust provides helpful information.
  2. The AADD-UK website is run and maintained by adults with ADHD. It that provides information on support groups that run nation-wide and also provides a forum for adults with ADHD.
  3. The ADHD UK website offers online support groups, drop-in sessions, and Q&A events for people with ADHD and their families. They provide practical resources, self-screeners and information on diagnosis and management. There's also a directory of ADHD coaches and professionals, plus tailored peer groups.
  4. The Access to Work website offers funding for ADHD coaching, assistive technology and workplace support to help individuals start or stay in employment.
  5. The SEL Mind website is a leading charity supporting mental health and dementia in South East London. They aim to improve lives by offering information, advice, and psychological and social care for people with conditions ranging from mild to severe.
  6. The Mad as ADHDers website is a place for people with ADHD and ASD, and those with ADHD and ASD in their families, to access helpful information about the disorder. It also boasts a forum where people can receive support.

Please note: these resources are independently managed and are not affiliated with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust's Adult ADHD Service.

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