Guide
GP appointment script: asking for an ADHD referral
A GP appointment is short, so the referral request needs to survive nerves and a fast conversation. The reliable structure is: open by asking directly for an adult ADHD assessment referral, give your 3 strongest real-life examples across more than one setting, be honest about mood, sleep and other conditions, and ask for the referral route (in England, including Right to Choose to a named provider) plus confirmation it has been sent. This free printable one-pager holds all of it. Information only, not medical advice: the GP decides whether a referral is clinically appropriate, and only a specialist can diagnose ADHD.
Information only, not medical advice and not a diagnosis. The script helps the request be clear; it does not and should not try to influence the clinical outcome. If you are struggling with your mental health now, contact your GP, NHS 111, or Samaritans on 116 123.
Before the appointment
- If offered a choice, book a routine (not emergency) appointment and mention it is about a possible ADHD referral.
- Do a validated screener and bring the result: the ASRS adult ADHD screener takes a few minutes. It is a conversation starter, not a diagnosis.
- Write down your 3 strongest real-life examples (below) so you do not blank in the room.
What to say
"I have long-standing difficulties with attention, organisation and restlessness that are affecting my [work / studies / home life]. I have looked into it, including a screening questionnaire, and I would like to be referred for an adult ADHD assessment."
Symptom evidence to bring: your 3 examples
Pick real, specific, costly examples across more than one setting:
- Work or study. Missed deadlines, jobs lost, hours lost to restarting tasks, performance warnings.
- Home and money. Unpaid bills despite money being there, missed appointments, chaotic admin.
- The long pattern. What school reports or family say about you as a child; how long this has been true.
Also mention, honestly: your mood, anxiety and sleep, other conditions and medications, and anything that runs in the family. Screening for other explanations is a normal part of the process, not a brush-off. For a fuller evidence-gathering exercise, use the assessment prep worksheet.
What to ask for
- A referral for an adult ADHD assessment.
- In England: the referral route, and if you have already chosen a provider, an NHS Right to Choose referral to that named provider. Take the Right to Choose GP letter with you, or the full request pack.
- Outside England: the standard NHS referral route where you live, and the expected wait.
- For the request and the referral to be recorded in your notes, with confirmation when it has been sent.
If the GP is hesitant
- Ask what their concern is: clinical (they want to explore other explanations first) or process (they are unsure of the route).
- Ask for your request and their reason to be recorded in your notes.
- Ask what would change their view, and whether another GP at the practice handles ADHD referrals.
- You can rebook: bring more evidence, or a written note, next time.
Afterwards
- Note the date and what was agreed, and chase the referral if you hear nothing in 2 to 3 weeks.
- Prepare for the assessment itself with the prep worksheet and our guide to what to expect.
Sources and basis
The referral pathway (GP referral to specialist assessment, with diagnosis made by specialist clinicians) reflects NICE guideline NG87 on ADHD diagnosis and management and NHS pathway information. The Right to Choose element applies in England only, under NHS England's Choice Framework, as set out on our Right to Choose guide (checked 23 June 2026). This page checked 27 July 2026.
The script is a communication aid, not a clinical document. It helps you give an accurate picture; it does not and should not steer a diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
Can a GP diagnose ADHD?
No. In the UK, ADHD is diagnosed by specialist clinicians after a full assessment; the GP’s role is the referral. That is why this script asks clearly for a referral rather than for a diagnosis, and why the examples you bring matter: they help the GP see that a specialist assessment is appropriate.
What if the GP says my symptoms are anxiety or depression?
Sometimes they are, sometimes they co-exist with ADHD, and untangling that is exactly what a specialist assessment is for. It is fair to ask: "Could we explore that alongside a referral rather than instead of one, given how long-standing the pattern is?" Our guide to whether it is ADHD or anxiety covers the overlap. Be honest about mood and sleep; screening for other explanations is part of a good pathway, not a brush-off.
Do I need to have done a screener before I go?
No, but it helps the conversation start further along. The ASRS is a validated adult screening questionnaire; a high score is not a diagnosis, and a modest score does not rule ADHD out, but bringing the result shows the GP you have done more than read a social media post. Our free ASRS screener takes a few minutes.
What if the GP refuses to refer me?
Ask what their concern is, ask for the request and their reason to be recorded in your notes, and ask what would change their view. You can rebook with more evidence, see another GP at the practice, or in England raise it with the practice in writing with help from PALS. A first no is a common part of many people’s route, not the end of it.
This page is information only, not medical advice and not a diagnosis. ADHD can only be diagnosed by a registered clinician after a full assessment.
Editor, ADHD Helper
Adam leads ADHD Helper's editorial coverage of adult ADHD, and he writes it from lived experience: Adam has ADHD himself, diagnosed as an adult, and has been through the assessment routes and the daily workarounds this site covers. He is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and researches the plain-English explainers on getting an ADHD assessment through NHS Right to Choose or privately, and on the products and tools people use to manage ADHD, drawing on guidance from the NHS, NICE and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is clear that the site is information, not medical advice, and that diagnosis is for a registered clinician.
Last reviewed: 30 July 2026