Assessments in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has several Health & Social Care Trusts which deliver services to the public. With neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD and Autism, recognition of remote or private assessments differs between these Trusts. 

Some Trusts will recognise a diagnosis from a private or remote assessment, while others will not.

This article explores what assessments ProblemShared can and cannot offer clients in Northern Ireland and important information surrounding these services.

Referrals from Northern Ireland

The table below shows who can be referred for an assessment with ProblemShared if they are based in Northern Ireland.

ADHD Assessments in Northern Ireland

ProblemShared offer ADHD assessments to the following people in Northern Ireland:

• Adults (18 years and older)
• Children and Young People (7-17)

Due to the long wait lists in Northern Ireland for ADHD assessments, we continue to offer online assessments to provide clients an additional option for being assessed. 

However, if you or your child are considering a referral to ProblemShared and you're based in Northern Ireland, please note that your local Trust may not recognise your diagnosis if your assessment is completed online.

If your Trust does not recognise your diagnosis, it can limit your ability to access post-diagnostic support. You may not be able to receive ADHD medication or other support through the NHS or other state institutions.

We recommend speaking to your GP about getting a Shared Care agreement before starting the process if ADHD medication is something you're interested in.

If your GP confirms that they may be willing to enter into a Shared Care Agreement following diagnosis and titration, this can give you a better understanding of whether ongoing prescribing through your GP may be an option.

Autism Assessments in Northern Ireland

ProblemShared offer assessments for Autism to adults (18 years and older) in Northern Ireland. These are available online and on a face-to-face basis.

However, we are not offering assessments for Children and Young People (aged 7-17) until further notice.

This is due to the restrictions and limitations it may cause a child to access the post-diagnostic support they need from the NHS and possibly the school if their Trust does not recognise the diagnosis.

South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust have written to ProblemShared (and all private providers) to inform us that they will no longer accept remote Autism assessments for Children and Young People, and this stance has also been taken by Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSC-NI).

Existing Diagnoses in Northern Ireland

If you are based in Northern Ireland and you have been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition by ProblemShared, your diagnosis remains valid.

We follow all the appropriate NICE guidelines in line with the DSM-V diagnostic criteria to conduct our assessments, and we stand by our clinical diagnoses.

However, if an NHS Trust decides not to recognise the online assessment as valid, this is unfortunately out of our control. We understand that this can be a difficult and disappointing outcome after a long assessment journey, and we will continue to offer as much support as we can remotely.

If your Trust does not accept your diagnosis, speak with your GP about your options.