ADHD & Autism Assessments

Local NHS assessment pathway

For school-aged children, ADHD and Autism assessments are normally accessed through the school-led pathway.

Schools provide the educational, behavioural and developmental information required as part of the assessment process.

For school-aged children:
Please speak to your child’s school SENCo.

For pre-school children:
Please speak to your child’s Health Visitor or Early Years setting.

The appropriate professional can advise you about the local referral pathway to services such as Community Paediatrics or CAMHS.

Right to Choose for children

Right to Choose arrangements for children can differ from adult pathways and not all providers accept children for ADHD or Autism assessment.

If you wish to explore Right to Choose for your child, please check that your chosen provider:

• Accepts patients of your child’s age
• Provides the assessment required
• Accepts NHS Right to Choose referrals
• Can accept referrals from a GP

Please provide the full name of your chosen Right to Choose provider when contacting us. We cannot process a Right to Choose referral request until we know which provider you have chosen.

Private assessments for children

If you choose a private assessment, please check before committing to treatment what ongoing prescribing, monitoring and shared-care arrangements will be required.

The practice does not automatically accept shared care from private providers.

Any request for shared care must be clinically reviewed and acceptance is not guaranteed.

Adult ADHD assessments

If you would like an NHS referral for an ADHD assessment, you may be asked to complete an Adult ADHD Questionnaire before the referral is considered.

Your options

Depending on eligibility and current commissioning arrangements, your options may include:

Local NHS service
or
NHS Right to Choose

Right to Choose

Under NHS Right to Choose, eligible patients may be able to choose an alternative provider for their assessment.

Before contacting the practice, please choose your provider.

You should check:

• The provider offers the assessment you require
• They currently accept NHS Right to Choose referrals
• You meet their eligibility criteria
• What referral forms or questionnaires they require
• Their arrangements for medication and ongoing care following diagnosis

Then contact the practice with:

• Whether you require ADHD or Autism assessment
• The name of your chosen provider
• Any forms the provider requires us to complete

Find Right to Choose providers

Please provide the full name of your chosen Right to Choose provider when contacting us. We cannot process a Right to Choose referral request until we know which provider you have chosen.

Adult Autism assessments

Adults seeking an Autism assessment may be eligible for referral to the local NHS Autism Assessment Service.

Right to Choose may also be available depending on the provider and current NHS arrangements.

If requesting Right to Choose, please identify your chosen provider before contacting us.

What is shared care?

Shared care is an arrangement where a specialist asks your GP to take responsibility for certain aspects of ongoing prescribing and monitoring.

A diagnosis does not automatically mean that the GP will take over prescribing.

Before choosing a provider

If medication may be required following an ADHD diagnosis, we strongly recommend checking the provider’s arrangements for:

• Starting medication
• Dose adjustment and stabilisation
• Ongoing specialist reviews
• Physical monitoring
• Shared care
• What happens if the GP does not accept shared care

This is particularly important when choosing a private provider.

Reviewing a shared care request

Shared care agreements cannot be accepted or signed immediately.

When an agreement is received, a GP must review the patient’s medical record, specialist documentation, treatment and proposed monitoring arrangements.

Following review, the GP will decide whether it is clinically appropriate to accept shared care.

Shared care is not guaranteed.

Patients should continue to obtain medication and follow-up from their specialist provider until they have been informed that shared care has been accepted.

Private healthcare operates separately from NHS-commissioned services.

Before arranging a private ADHD or Autism assessment, please make sure you understand what the provider will require from your GP.

The practice cannot guarantee that it will:

• Enter into a shared care agreement
• Take over prescribing
• Arrange investigations requested solely for private treatment
• Undertake ongoing monitoring on behalf of a private provider
• Complete private provider forms or reports without an applicable private-work arrangement

Patients should discuss these requirements with their chosen provider before paying for an assessment or treatment.

If a referral is not accepted, the reason will be explained where this information has been provided to the practice.

Where appropriate, you may be advised about additional information required or alternative services or pathways.