Stick with NHS diagnosis waiting list or go private?

Hi Everyone, 

I live in Suffolk so I am under the NSFT

I saw my GP back in mid-August about getting a diagnosis for ASD. It took about a month to see the health adviser and she made a referral to the Access Team of the NSFT in mid September. After a number of weeks later (around Halloween) I received a phone call asking if I was suicidal (I'm not), and that I should receive a letter or phone call within a few weeks with a date for my first appointment with the next team. Come the beginning of February I hadn't heard anything at all so I rang the Access Team to see what had happened and they said my referral had been passed onto the next team, but she didn't say it was the autism team she gave a different team name - which I now can't remember. She said she would contact them and tell them I am still interested in having a diagnosis and they would get in touch to confirm the referral within a week or so. Nearly another month on and I still haven't heard. 

I understand there is a long wait list for adults but it has been over six months and my referral hasn't even reached the autism diagnosis team yet it is still in the "triage" stage departments (not sure what else to call them). Is it unreasonable to expect this stage to have happened by now? 

The thing is I do have the money for a private assessment. Would this be better? I know it would be quicker but I have heard some services will only honour a NHS diagnosis and not a private one? Is this true?

Thanks

J

Parents
  • I guess it depends on where you live. I saw a GP in late July last year and had my ASD diagnosis by early September. It's really unfortunate that some people need to wait for several months. I don't know for sure whether only an NHS diagnosis would be accepted, but as long as the diagnosis is made by a qualified individual, I really don't see that anyone would have a legal basis for not accepting it.

Reply
  • I guess it depends on where you live. I saw a GP in late July last year and had my ASD diagnosis by early September. It's really unfortunate that some people need to wait for several months. I don't know for sure whether only an NHS diagnosis would be accepted, but as long as the diagnosis is made by a qualified individual, I really don't see that anyone would have a legal basis for not accepting it.

Children
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