Should I tell my family doctor before booking a private ADHD assessment?

Nothing requires you to inform your family doctor before booking privately

A private ADHD assessment does not need a referral from your family doctor, so you are free to book directly with a licensed nurse practitioner or clinician without discussing it with your GP first. Some people prefer privacy around exploring a possible diagnosis before involving their usual doctor, and that is a reasonable choice.

Telling your family doctor helps keep your overall medical record complete

A family doctor who knows about a new ADHD diagnosis and treatment plan can consider it when prescribing something else, flag any interactions, and support documentation requests, such as forms for an employer or insurer, more efficiently.

• Your family doctor can flag potential interactions with any other medications you take.
• A complete record makes future referrals or documentation requests faster.
• If your ADHD prescriber ever changes, your family doctor already has the history.
• Coordinated care generally produces a smoother experience than parallel, disconnected care.

A short update is usually enough: what was assessed, the result, and any treatment plan

You do not need to explain your reasons for choosing a private assessment. Sharing a copy of your diagnosis letter or healthcare-provider report, if you obtained one, gives your family doctor a concrete record to add to your file rather than a verbal summary alone.

Confidentiality rules apply to your family doctor the same way they apply to any clinician

Under Ontario's privacy framework for health information, and equivalent legislation in other provinces, your family doctor cannot share your ADHD diagnosis with an employer or insurer without your consent, regardless of whether you tell them proactively or they learn about it through a shared record. If you are specifically concerned about insurance implications, note that private insurance plans generally set their own annual maximums for services like psychology and social work, according to Sun Life's public overview of mental health coverage, and none of that depends on whether your family doctor is informed.

If you decide not to loop in your family doctor at all, that does not affect your eligibility for a private assessment or ongoing care. Finding Focus's process does not require a referral or a family doctor's involvement at any stage, and you can start with the free screener at get-started, which is a screening tool rather than a diagnosis.

There is no wrong time to tell them: before, after, or never are all valid choices

Some people mention it before booking simply as a courtesy or to ask their GP's opinion; others wait until they have a confirmed diagnosis and treatment plan to share something concrete rather than an open question. If you plan to eventually transition ongoing prescribing to your family doctor, telling them sooner rather than later can make that transition smoother, since they will have more time to review your documentation, described on the ADHD testing and diagnosis page, before taking over care.

When symptoms overlap with something your family doctor already manages, mentioning it sooner tends to help more

If your family doctor already treats you for another condition, manages other prescriptions, or has been discussing similar symptoms with you, such as difficulty concentrating or low energy, they are in a good position to have useful context before or shortly after your assessment. If your situation is more isolated, with no other ongoing care to coordinate, the timing matters less and can simply be a matter of personal preference.

Whatever you decide, remember that the choice is entirely yours to make, and a private clinic will not contact your family doctor on your behalf unless you specifically ask for that and provide consent. Any sharing of your diagnosis and records happens only with your explicit permission.