The cost of a private adult ADHD assessment in the UK ranges from 275 GBP to 2,100 GBP — a 7.6-fold difference for the same NICE-guideline assessment — according to a study of 332 private clinics published by comparison directory ADHD Private.

The study, which read the published price of every clinic it could identify, found a median adult assessment price of 995 GBP across the 161 clinics that publish one.

Its central finding concerns geography. Region accounts for only about 9.1% of the variation in what clinics charge. The gap between the cheapest and dearest regional medians is 795 GBP, while inside a single region prices can differ by 1,705 GBP — more than double. London, contrary to expectation, has a median of 875 GBP, below the national figure. The lowest regional median is the North West at 700 GBP; the highest is the East Midlands at 1,495 GBP.

"The assumption everyone starts with is a postcode lottery, and that is not what the data shows," said Phil McParlane, founder of ADHD Private. "Which clinic you approach matters considerably more than where you happen to live. Two clinics on the same high street can differ by more than the gap between the cheapest and most expensive regions in the country."

The study also updates a figure widely quoted since 2024. A survey of 401 clinics by myTribe in June 2024 reported an average adult assessment cost of 1,200 GBP; the mean across published prices in this study is 1,051 GBP. The two are not directly comparable — the earlier survey asked clinics what they charge, while this study records only what clinics publish on their own pages — and the authors caution against reading the difference as a price movement.

Other findings:

- Clinics operating entirely online published a median adult price of 680 GBP, against 1,000 GBP for clinics with a physical site.
- A child assessment had a median of 1,250 GBP (52 clinics); a combined ADHD and autism assessment had a median of 2,600 GBP (50 clinics).
- 51.8% of the 249 companies behind these clinics were incorporated in 2020 or later.
- 40 of the 332 clinics accept NHS Right to Choose referrals. Right to Choose applies in England only, does not guarantee a shorter wait, and some Integrated Care Boards restrict or pause it.
- Of 286 clinics in England, 117 could be matched to the Care Quality Commission's public register; 112 of those are registered and 25 hold a published quality rating. CQC guidance updated on 26 March 2026 confirms that providers offering only ADHD or autism diagnosis, with no treatment, do not need to register.

Every price was read from the clinic's own published page on 24 July 2026 and stored with the source URL. The full report, methodology, stated limitations and an aggregate dataset are published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence at https://adhdprivate.co.uk/research/uk-private-adhd-market-20...