What does a second-opinion ADHD assessment involve?

A second-opinion ADHD assessment, sometimes called an assessment review, is an independent clinical review of a previous ADHD assessment that’s carried out by a different clinician. It’s for people who’ve already been assessed, whether through the NHS or privately, and want an independent view on the outcome.

It’s a strange place to be. You’ve already sat through an assessment, maybe waited months or years for it, and you’re still left wondering if it got you right. Maybe the appointment felt rushed. Maybe the outcome didn’t match what you know about yourself, or you’ve read more about ADHD since and things suddenly click differently. Whatever’s brought you here, it’s a completely normal reason to want another opinion.

If that’s where you are right now, here’s what the process actually involves and why people tend to seek one out.

Why do people seek a second opinion after an ADHD assessment?

There are quite a few reasons someone might want their original assessment reviewed:

• You don’t feel the assessment went into enough depth or captured the full picture
• You don’t feel the outcome, whether you were diagnosed or not, matches your lived experience
• You want an independent view before starting or changing medication
• You want reassurance that the right process was followed the first time

You don’t need to justify any of these. Wanting a second, independent look at something this important is a reasonable thing to want, whatever the outcome of the first assessment was.

When would we request an assessment review?

If you’ve already been diagnosed by another organisation and you’re looking to move forward with treatment, we’ll usually ask for a copy of your original assessment first.

We look at this closely to make sure that, in our clinical opinion, the diagnosis holds up before we go ahead with treatment.

Sometimes that review throws up a few gaps, and we’ll need a bit more information from you before starting a treatment package.

If that’s the case, we’ll usually cover it in a review appointment rather than asking you to fill in more forms.

Does a second opinion mean redoing the whole assessment?

Yes, in the sense that we carry out our own full clinical review rather than simply reading through someone else’s notes. We look at your history and experiences independently, so the opinion we reach is genuinely our own, rather than a rubber stamp on what came before.

What if the second opinion disagrees with the first?

That can happen, in either direction. Our job isn’t to agree or disagree with a previous assessment for the sake of it, but to reach an honest, independent clinical view based on what we find. If our findings differ from the original assessment, we’ll talk you through why, and what we think the right next steps are.

What happens after a second-opinion assessment?

Once the review is complete, you’ll have a clear conversation about our findings and what they mean practically. This could be starting treatment, seeking further support, or simply having confirmation of what you already suspected. You won’t be left with a second opinion and no idea what to do with it.

Who is a second-opinion assessment for?

We are happy to see anyone adult who’s already had an ADHD assessment, through any route, and isn’t fully settled with the outcome or the process. You don’t need a specific reason beyond that.

Sort is a profit-for-purpose service, part of Bevan Community Benefit Society, with surplus reinvested back into Bevan services. Assessments are available online across the UK, and face-to-face in Bradford.