Waiting Endlessly For ADHD Or Autism Assessment? 'Right To Choose' May Get You Seen Sooner

Person in profileMore and more UK adults have received treatment for ADHD over the past couple of years, but thanks in part to the NHS’s ADHD assessment wait times, ADHD UK says roughly two million cases are still undiagnosed in the UK.Meanwhile, the National Autistic Society shares that roughly 750,000 autistic adults in the UK may also be missing a formal diagnosis.Some researchers think that undiagnosed ADHD or autism can lead to worse mental health outcomes and may even increase your risk of addiction. But the charity says there may be a workaround for people who have been waiting on an NHS ADHD assessment, which ADHD UK say might take anywhere from 12 weeks to 10 years, depending on your location.This is called the “right to choose” and was implemented in 2018. How can Right To Choose help with my NHS autism or ADHD assessment?“If you are based in England under the NHS, you now have a legal right to choose your mental healthcare provider and your choice of mental healthcare team... this includes for referrals relating to autism and ADHD assessment,“NHS Eastwick Park Medical Practice says. They add that this is free on the NHS (it’s important to remember autism and ADHD are not mental illnesses, but are included anyway).In practice, that means that if you feel you’re waiting for too long, you can find another healthcare provider.This is helpful because, as we mentioned above, wait times can vary significantly within the NHS; the health service says Right To Choose could mean “You may be able to find a clinic with shorter waiting lists.“You can ask for an NHS appointment at any clinic, including a private clinic, if it provides ADHD services for the NHS in England,” the NHS added.It must provide the service to the NHS to count. If it doesn’t, it’s not eligible.ADHD UK have a full list of providers on the Right To Choose programme for both adults and children. Can everyone on an NHS ADHD waitlist use Right To Choose?No. The NHS says you might not be eligible if: You need urgent or emergency treatment – this is often not relevant as there are rarely times when this type of referral is considered urgent, but is still worth noting hereYou already receive care and treatment for the condition you are seeking an assessment forThe organisation or clinical team you’ve chosen does not provide the right care for your conditionYou are a prisoner or on temporary release from prisonYou are detained in prescribed accommodation such as a court, secure training centre, immigration removal centre or young offender’s instituteYou are detained in a secure hospital settingYou are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended in 2007)You are a serving member of the armed forces. You will also need to ensure: The NHS practice is in England (different rules apply for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)The General Practitioner has agreed to make a clinically appropriate outpatient referral (which is separate from the Right To Choose option). How do I access Right To Choose?You should speak to your GP, the NHS says.ADHD UK offers a downloadable letter for people whose GP has declined their Right To Choose request, as they point out that not all healthcare workers are aware of the changes. “For all Right to Choose referrals, the patient, or their family if a child, will need to research and select a clinic themselves; it is not something the GP can advise on,” the NHS adds. They also point out that not every assessor has the ability to supply medications to treat ADHD, should you be diagnosed. You can see which ones do on ADHD UK’s site. Related...Yes, Autism Self-Diagnosis Is On The Rise – But The Moral Panic Is The Real IssueRSD May Be 'Common' With ADHD – Here Are Its SymptomsI'm An Autism Assessor – 5 Signs You May Have Been Undiagnosed For Decades

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