Step 1 – Choose your provider
Due to increased demand, the NHS pathways for ADHD and Autism assessments have very long waits. You therefore have the option of going through the Right to Choose pathway which means you can choose to be referred to a private provider and your assessment will be funded by the NHS.
You can choose your Right to Choose provider for both ADHD and Autism using the link below.
Please note that we cannot choose a private provider for you, and our staff cannot assist you in vetting or assessing the suitability of these providers for you – you must do this yourself.
- You meet their referral criteria.
- They can prescribe medication for you, if this is something you wish to pursue.
- Please note that the practice has no obligation to perform any investigations or prescribe any medications following attendance at a private provider (this is often known as a shared care agreement).
- You are aware of their waiting times. We appreciate that you will be keen to be assessed as soon as possible, however, please do not choose a provider simply because it has the shortest waiting time – do check that it is the right service for you.
Step 2 – Preparing for a referral
To proceed with your ADHD or Autism referral, please complete the following documentation returning it to the practice for the attention of the admin team. There is no requirement to discuss your documents with a doctor beforehand.
- A completed ADHD/Autism screening questionnaire (ASRS self assessment for ADHD and AQ-10 self assessment for ASD).
- A handwritten or typed statement with your symptoms, concerns and impact upon daily living including home, work and relationships; also include what you have tried to do to help with these symptoms and what you expect from diagnosis; please make this as detailed as possible as it will aid your referral.
- Details of your selected Right to Choose provider (https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose/).
- A completed referral proforma, downloaded from your chosen provider’s website; please note that we will not be able to fill this out for you.
We can only accept your request for a referral for assessment once all of the above four pieces of documentation have been received.
If we need to send you reminders for any outstanding information or documents, we will hold your referral for you for a period of 21 days, to allow you time to provide the required information. If you still do not respond to our reminders, we will assume you do not wish to be referred and we will close your request. Doing this allows our admin staff the time to help other patients.
Step 3 – Referral
Once we have received all four pieces of information, a doctor will review your documentation. If you meet the criteria, the admin team will make the referral to your chosen provider, sending off all the required documents. After this, your chosen provider will be in touch.
Once your referral has been sent to your chosen provider, the surgery will no longer be involved in the process and all queries must be directed to your provider.