ASD/ADHD and Right to Choose

Did you know you can choose who you get assessed by for autism and ADHD through the NHS if you're in England?  

With waiting lists hitting record highs over over 3 years for an NHS assessment, I thought I should highlight a way of cutting years off that wait that I've used myself.

NHS Right to Choose basically means you have autonomy over who your GP refers you to when it comes to treatment. Be it a certain company, or an individual surgeon, right to choose gives you that freedom and with so many people learning more about ASD/ADHD, wait times have sky rocketed. 

The basics of this are;

1.  Have a look online and find a provider that deals with the assessment you need. There's many out there now and all have their own way of doing things, so it's worth looking around to find a place that is the right fit for you. If you're new, you'll have to choose a local assessor, if you've already been waiting for 3 months, you can then ask for a national assessor.  Also please note the provider must have a commissioning contract with a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) or NHS England for the required service.

2. Get a GPs appointment and talk through with your GP why you feel you need an assessment, be honest and open with them and mention you would like to use right to choose for an assessment. Sometimes your doctor will say no, but you can look into a second opinion, or even take a supporting letter with you.  ADHD UK have a great printable PDF for this here. Their website also talks you through the diagnosis pathway, which is very useful to know in advance. 

3. The GP will then (hopefully) refer you to your chosen company, who will then contact you to arrange a proper assessment.  Most of these are now done via video chat, on Zoom and the like, so no need to worry about having to go to a strange new place.

Wait times can still be many months, but I was assessed within 7 month, which is much better than the 3.5 years I was quoted by my GP. 

I've included a couple of links to a few of the more well known assessors below.  Well known can also mean a slightly longer wait time of course. (Some will deal only with ASD or ADHD, others offer both.)

Psychiatry UK. 
ADHD 360
Dr J and co. (A smaller clinic and less well known)
S4D (who I used)

Some clinics will be able to offer medication for ADHD once assessed, but not all can. So if you're wanting an ADHD diagnosis, it's worth checking to make sure this can be done first. 

 
Please note you cannot use Right to choose if;

-already receiving mental health care following an elective referral for the same       condition.-referred to a service that is commissioned by a local authority, for example a drug   and alcohol service (unless commissioned under a Section 75 agreement)-accessing urgent or emergency (crisis) care.-accessing services delivered through a primary care contract  in high secure psychiatric services.-detained under the Mental Health Act 1983-detained in a secure setting. This includes people in or on temporary release from     prisons, courts, secure children’s homes, certain secure training centres, immigration removal centres or young offender institutions.-serving as a member of the armed forces (family members in England have the same   rights as other residents of England.


I hope this information helps you in your search for answers.  If you have any questions, I'm more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability here.

Good luck!

-Albus-