What are NHS waits like in Edinburgh?

Waiting times for NHS Lothian are published in the official NHS statistics rather than estimated here, so you can check the current position for your own referral before deciding to go private. Adult ADHD and autism assessment waits are not reported as a separate national measure, so ask your GP or provider for the local figure.

Do I have to travel into Edinburgh?

Not necessarily. In-person appointments are usually in the New Town, West End or Morningside. Most clinics are a short walk from Waverley or Haymarket, or a tram ride from the airport. Most specialists also work by video, so you can be assessed from anywhere in Scotland if travelling is difficult.

Is a screening call the same as therapy?

No. It is a navigation conversation, not treatment and not a diagnosis. Its job is to make sure your first paid appointment is the right one, with the right kind of specialist.

Because it is a scheduled slot with a person who prepares for it. If you want a free starting point instead, use a self-screening and the pathway builder, both of which cost nothing.

When is the £40 taken?

When we contact you to schedule the call, never on submitting this form. If we cannot help you, we tell you before taking payment.

Do you refer me to your own clinicians only?

We shortlist from our network of independent specialists because those are the profiles, fees and credentials we can see. If the right answer sits outside it, including the NHS, we say so on the call.

What if I need help urgently?

A screening call is not urgent care. For immediate risk contact 999 or NHS 111, and see the crisis support page for helplines you can use today.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Thirty minutes, £40, and a clear next step in Edinburgh.

NHS Lothian serves 900,000 people across Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Borders.

Request a screening call from Edinburgh

£40, 30 minutes, by video or phone.

Independent specialists · Fees paid directly to the clinician · No booking fee

What if I do not know which specialist I need in Edinburgh?

Book the 30-minute screening call. For £40 a clinician listens to what is happening, tells you whether a formal assessment is the right next step, and names the Edinburgh specialists or services that fit. Nothing is diagnosed on the call, and you are under no obligation to book anything after it.

Length: 30 minutes, by phone or video
Price: £40, taken when the call is scheduled
Booking: We contact you within 24 hours to arrange it
You leave with: A pathway, a specialist shortlist and indicative fees
Free alternative: Self-screening in five minutes, no cost
Edinburgh clinics: In-person appointments are usually in the New Town, West End or Morningside.
Getting there: Most clinics are a short walk from Waverley or Haymarket, or a tram ride from the airport.
Local demand: Edinburgh has one of the highest concentrations of academically-linked private clinicians in the UK.

Sources

Step by step

How it works in Edinburgh

1
Request the call
Fill in the short form. Name, contact details and a few lines on what you would like from the call so the navigator arrives prepared.
2
We arrange a time within 24 hours
We contact you to agree a slot that works, including evenings. Payment of £40 is taken at that point, not before.
3
Have the call
Thirty confidential minutes. We separate what needs a formal assessment from what a screening or a coach can handle, and we say plainly when the answer is your NHS GP rather than us.
4
Act on the shortlist
You receive the pathway and the specialist shortlist in writing. You contact the specialist directly, and Take a Seat charges no booking fee or commission on what you book.

Questions

Straight answers

What are NHS waits like in Edinburgh?: Waiting times for NHS Lothian are published in the official NHS statistics rather than estimated here, so you can check the current position for your own referral before deciding to go private. Adult ADHD and autism assessment waits are not reported as a separate national measure, so ask your GP or provider for the local figure.
Do I have to travel into Edinburgh?: Not necessarily. In-person appointments are usually in the New Town, West End or Morningside. Most clinics are a short walk from Waverley or Haymarket, or a tram ride from the airport. Most specialists also work by video, so you can be assessed from anywhere in Scotland if travelling is difficult.
Is a screening call the same as therapy?: No. It is a navigation conversation, not treatment and not a diagnosis. Its job is to make sure your first paid appointment is the right one, with the right kind of specialist.
Why is it not free?: Because it is a scheduled slot with a person who prepares for it. If you want a free starting point instead, use a self-screening and the pathway builder, both of which cost nothing.
When is the £40 taken?: When we contact you to schedule the call, never on submitting this form. If we cannot help you, we tell you before taking payment.
Do you refer me to your own clinicians only?: We shortlist from our network of independent specialists because those are the profiles, fees and credentials we can see. If the right answer sits outside it, including the NHS, we say so on the call.
What if I need help urgently?: A screening call is not urgent care. For immediate risk contact 999 or NHS 111, and see the crisis support page for helplines you can use today.