NHS vs private assessment

Hi, 

I (29F) feel I would like to be assessed as I am fairly sure I am somewhere on the spectrum. I haven't yet made an appointment with my doctor to discuss this as I want to be as prepared as possible (gathering information and reasoning of why my family and I think I am likely to be on the spectrum but also finding out what the process is and NHS vs private options). 

My main questions are:

What is the NHS wait time likely to be after referral (I'm in the West Midlands if that helps)?

Are there any benefits (other than cost and timescale) of the NHS vs private assessment route? I mainly want the assessment for my own peace of mind but if it can help me get any support in any way then I would be open to that as well. 

If I was to go the private route rather than through the NHS, does anyone have any recommendations?  

If anyone has any general information or advice that may be useful please share as I feel slightly overwhelmed with the different information available online!

Parents
  • Hi, Sam:

    I had my assessment completed privately and it cost me $1,000 Canadian (565 pounds). Thankfully 2/3 of the cost was covered through my employment benefits plan.

    I was grateful not to have to wait at all and I had my diagnosis  within one month of beginning the assessment process (four weekly appointments). My understanding as I have read posts on this site is that the situation it is usually quite different in the UK. I imagine a two or even three year wait with NHS could be frustrating.

    If anyone is interested in obtaining the contact information for the specialist psychologist who diagnosed me, please feel free to send me a direct message. The Canadian psychologist has a Ph.D. and specializes in diagnosing adults. She works 150 km away from where I live so she conducted my entire assessment using Zoom video link. She also offered me telephone appointments, had I preferred. 

    Elizabeth

Reply
  • Hi, Sam:

    I had my assessment completed privately and it cost me $1,000 Canadian (565 pounds). Thankfully 2/3 of the cost was covered through my employment benefits plan.

    I was grateful not to have to wait at all and I had my diagnosis  within one month of beginning the assessment process (four weekly appointments). My understanding as I have read posts on this site is that the situation it is usually quite different in the UK. I imagine a two or even three year wait with NHS could be frustrating.

    If anyone is interested in obtaining the contact information for the specialist psychologist who diagnosed me, please feel free to send me a direct message. The Canadian psychologist has a Ph.D. and specializes in diagnosing adults. She works 150 km away from where I live so she conducted my entire assessment using Zoom video link. She also offered me telephone appointments, had I preferred. 

    Elizabeth

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