My referral record
Free to read and print. No diagnosis, account or screening purchase is needed.
About 5 minutes to start; a short update after each contact.
Download printable sheet (PDF)
Waiting Well resources
Urgent help
Download referral and appointment checklist (PDF)
If you are becoming overwhelmed, here are some contacts to talk to:
1
What this helps with
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Keep referral dates, service contacts and agreed next steps in one place.
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Who it is for: Anyone waiting for an assessment or further support, including parents and carers.
Time: About 5 minutes to start; a short update after each contact.
2
Short explanation
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Use this record for the information you already have. You can ask the referring professional or receiving service to clarify anything missing. Follow the contact instructions on their letter or website.
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Ask whether the referral has been received, whether anything is needed from you and when to contact the service again. If your health or circumstances change, tell the service and ask your GP or usual professional about support while waiting. This record cannot confirm a place or a waiting time.
3
One practical action
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Find one referral letter or message and write down the service name and next contact step.
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Example message: “I was referred on [date]. Please can you confirm you received the referral, whether you need anything from me, and when I should contact you again?”
4
Worksheet: start here
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Keep copies of letters and messages with your record if that is useful.
Referral details
Who referred me, date sent, service receiving the referral and any reference.
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Service contact
Name or team, phone or email, and the contact method they ask me to use.
What has been confirmed?
Referral received? Anything still needed? Who told me, and when?
5
Worksheet: next steps
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Contact log
Date | person or team | what was agreed | next action and date.
A change I need to tell someone about
What has changed and which service or professional I will contact.
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My next step
One action, who will do it and when I will check again.
6
Use your sheet privately
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Write on paper or in a private file on your own device. Keep your copy somewhere safe, especially on a shared device. You choose what to share.
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Print the free sheet or copy the prompts into your own private note. Complete only the parts that help.
Useful checks:
• Check that the service has current contact details.
• Ask how you will hear about the next step.
• Record requested forms or information.
• Agree when and how to follow up.
Download printable sheet (PDF)
Download referral and appointment checklist (PDF)
7
Where to go next
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Choose the next topic that is useful to you. There is no order to follow.
Prepare for an appointment
Keep useful support contacts
Choose another Waiting Well resource
Use this
Sources used for this draft. Check current arrangements with the relevant service.
NHS: ADHD in adults
NHS: ADHD in children and young people
NHS: What to ask your doctor or other healthcare professional
8
Author and review
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Prepared for: Matthew Lock ADHD Charity.
Draft content: AI-assisted.
Source and accessibility check: 14 November 2026.
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Charity reviewer: pending sign-off.
Review status: not yet clinically reviewed.
Practical guidance and urgent help
This is a practical organising tool. It does not diagnose ADHD or replace individual professional advice.
Urgent help: call 999 if someone's life is at risk or you cannot keep yourself or someone else safe. Samaritans: 116 123, free, day or night. For other urgent routes across the UK, use the site's Urgent help page.
Urgent help across the UK
For me
For my child or young person
Waiting Well resources
Back to Waiting Well
References and resources
Hallowell, E.M., & Ratey, J. J. (1994). Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder. Anchor Books.
Resource topic:
Understanding ADHD
Barkley, R.A. (2020). Taking Charge of Adult ADHD (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
Resource topic:
Understanding ADHD
Brown, T.E. (2013). A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults: Executive Function Impairments. Routledge.
Resource topic:
Tracking Symptoms and Executive Function
Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2016). Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach. The Guilford Press.
Resource topic:
Tracking Symptoms and Executive Function
Solanto, M.V. (2011). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD: Targeting Executive Dysfunction. The Guilford Press.
Resource topic:
Routines and ADHD-Friendly Systems
Sarkis, S.M. (2017). Natural Relief for Adult ADHD: Complementary Strategies for Increasing Focus, Attention, and Motivation. New Harbinger Publications.
Resource topic:
Routines and ADHD-Friendly Systems
Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, Self-Regulation. Norton.
Resource topic:
Regulation Techniques
Fisher, J. (2017). Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation. Routledge.
Resource topic:
Regulation Techniques
Neff, K.D. (2011). Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. William Morrow.
Resource topic:
Self-Compassion and Mental Health
Ramsay, J.R., & Rostain, A. L. (2015). The Adult ADHD Tool Kit: Using CBT to Facilitate Coping Inside and Out. Routledge
Resource topic:
Self-Compassion and Mental Health