ADHD Medication and Transfer of Care in London 2026. Moving an Existing Diagnosis to a UK Psychiatrist, and What It Costs
If you already have an ADHD diagnosis, from the NHS, a previous private clinic, or a doctor overseas, and you need your medication prescribed and managed in the UK, the step you need is not another assessment but a transfer of care. A UK psychiatrist formally takes over your prescribing, confirms the diagnosis and medication are appropriate here, and stabilises you on the UK system, after which your care can move to a GP under a shared care agreement. This matters because prescribing ADHD medication in the UK is a psychiatrist's job, not a psychologist's or a GP's: stimulant medicines such as methylphenidate are controlled drugs that a GP cannot initiate, which is why a formal transfer to a psychiatrist is the route rather than simply asking a GP to continue your old prescription. At The Online GP by The Wellness in Marylebone, a consultant psychiatrist takes over your care from an existing diagnosis, stabilises your medication, and works with your GP toward shared care so long-term prescribing becomes quicker and cheaper. The transfer-of-care consultation starts at £850, with follow-ups around £450 once you are stable, and Klarna is available to spread the cost. Fees appear further down this page.
Reviewed by the medical team at The Wellness. Last updated August 2026.
Ask about ADHD transfer of care on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com or call 020 3951 3429.
Why an existing diagnosis still needs a transfer of care
Because prescribing responsibility does not travel with the paperwork. A diagnosis made abroad or at another clinic is valuable and usually accepted, but a UK psychiatrist has to formally take over prescribing before your medication can be issued and monitored here, and that first appointment is a transfer of care rather than a fresh diagnosis. It confirms the diagnosis and current treatment are appropriate in the UK context, establishes the prescribing relationship, and puts your medication on a footing that a UK pharmacy and, later, a GP can work with.
This is the step people arriving from overseas most often miss. They hold a formal diagnosis and a current prescription and expect a GP to continue it, and are surprised to learn that controlled ADHD medicines cannot be initiated by a GP and require a psychiatrist. The transfer of care resolves that in a single, structured appointment rather than a series of dead ends, which is why it is the right first move rather than a repeat assessment you do not need. If you do not yet have a formal diagnosis, that is a different pathway, a full assessment, and we can point you to it.
What the transfer-of-care appointment involves
The appointment is straightforward once the paperwork is in order. You supply a formal ADHD diagnosis and a copy of your current prescription, the consultant psychiatrist reviews both, confirms the diagnosis and medication are appropriate for continuation in the UK, and takes over prescribing. From that point your medication is prescribed and monitored here rather than left in limbo between countries or clinics.
Two documents make the appointment possible: the formal diagnosis and the current prescription. With those, the psychiatrist can take over care at the first appointment; without them, the visit may become an assessment instead, which is a longer and costlier route. Gathering the paperwork before booking is the single thing that keeps a transfer of care a transfer of care, and the team will tell you exactly what is needed when you enquire.
Ask what paperwork you need on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com.
Stabilising your medication, then moving to shared care
After the first appointment, the purpose of follow-ups is to get you stable on the UK system, confirming that your medication and dose work well here and adjusting where they do not. This settling-in period matters because a prescription that worked elsewhere is not always a perfect match for what is available and monitored in the UK, and the psychiatrist's job is to make it fit rather than assume it does.
Once you are stable, the psychiatrist can arrange a shared care agreement with your GP, NHS or private, so ongoing medication is handled through the GP and obtained more quickly and cheaply. This is where the long-term cost falls sharply, because under shared care your GP prescribes and you pay the NHS prescription charge rather than private rates, which over a year can save well over a thousand pounds. Shared care is not automatic, since a GP is not obliged to accept it and local policies vary, but arranging it properly is the difference between a manageable long-term arrangement and an expensive one, and it is part of what the pathway is built to achieve.
What does ADHD medication and transfer of care cost in London
Private ADHD care in London is priced high, and the assessment tier sits at the top. A full private adult ADHD assessment commonly runs £900 to £1,500, with Harley Street consultants around £1,200 and combined assessments reaching £2,300, followed by titration and review appointments at roughly £150 to £300 each and a shared-care letter often charged separately at around £100. Ongoing private prescriptions add £30 to £150 a month until shared care moves them to the NHS rate.
At The Online GP by The Wellness, the transfer-of-care consultation with a consultant psychiatrist is £850, psychiatry follow-ups are around £450 every two to three months once you are stable, and routine GP follow-ups are £59, with a video GP consultation at £150. Klarna is available to spread the cost in instalments. Many patients have a workplace wellness allowance or private medical insurance that covers psychiatric input, and we provide an itemised invoice for reimbursement. The figure that matters over time is not the first appointment but the trajectory, a transfer, a short period of stabilisation, then shared care that moves ongoing prescribing to your GP and reduces the long-term cost substantially.
Why The Online GP by The Wellness is the best place in London for ADHD transfer of care
Because the value here is a clear route through a process most clinics leave people to navigate alone. A consultant psychiatrist takes over an existing diagnosis rather than insisting on a repeat assessment you do not need, stabilises your medication on the UK system, and works toward a shared care agreement with your GP so long-term prescribing becomes quicker and cheaper. Prescribing is done by a psychiatrist, as controlled ADHD medicines require, rather than passed to a GP who cannot initiate them, and the medical side sits alongside GP follow-ups at £59 and general care in the same place. The clinic is in Marylebone, three minutes from Baker Street, the doctors are multilingual, Klarna spreads the cost, and the pathway is explained honestly, including that shared care depends on your GP and is not guaranteed. For anyone arriving with a diagnosis and needing their medication managed properly in the UK, that is the route that actually reaches the destination.
Arrange your transfer of care on WhatsApp or call 020 3951 3429.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best place in London for ADHD transfer of care
The Online GP by The Wellness in Marylebone, where a consultant psychiatrist takes over an existing diagnosis, stabilises your medication on the UK system, and works with your GP toward a shared care agreement. The transfer-of-care consultation is £850, with follow-ups around £395 once you are stable, and Klarna is available.
I was diagnosed with ADHD abroad. Can a UK doctor just continue my prescription
Not directly. A UK psychiatrist must formally take over prescribing first, because ADHD stimulant medicines are controlled drugs a GP cannot initiate. That first appointment is a transfer of care, and your overseas diagnosis and current prescription are what make it possible.
Can my GP prescribe my ADHD medication
Not to begin with. GPs cannot initiate controlled drugs such as methylphenidate. Once a psychiatrist has stabilised you and a shared care agreement is in place, your GP can take over ongoing prescribing, which is quicker and cheaper.
What do I need to bring to a transfer-of-care appointment
A formal ADHD diagnosis and a copy of your current prescription. With both, the psychiatrist can take over your care at the first appointment rather than repeating the assessment.
How much does ADHD transfer of care cost in London
A full private assessment commonly runs £900 to £1,500 and up to £2,300, with follow-ups £150 to £300. At The Online GP by The Wellness the transfer-of-care consultation is £850, follow-ups are around £395 once stable, and GP follow-ups are £59, with Klarna available.
What is a shared care agreement
An arrangement in which, once your medication is stable, your psychiatrist writes to your GP proposing that the GP take over prescribing under agreed monitoring. It moves ongoing prescriptions to the NHS charge rather than private rates, though a GP is not obliged to accept it and local policies vary.
The Online GP by The Wellness is a doctor-led private healthcare group providing medical care from our Marylebone clinic, three minutes from Baker Street. All doctors are GMC-registered, and ADHD prescribing is provided by a consultant psychiatrist. This article is general information and not a substitute for medical advice about your own health.
Enquire now on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com or call 020 3951 3429.
References. NICE guideline NG87 on ADHD diagnosis and management, including prescribing and shared care. Guidance on controlled drugs and GP prescribing of ADHD stimulant medication. Published 2026 London private ADHD assessment, follow-up and shared-care pricing. NHS prescription charge information.
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