Fretting about the validity of a private diagnosis

• Their diagnosis could be right,whether NHS(or particularly DWP) would accept are to do with cost,not always patients welfare. A shame really. But i really hope you get what it is that is correcty,and right for u.

Unfortunately primary care can't deal with anything other than physical,as GP's not trained in anything complicated. GP's(and their funders-CCG's) are a big problem why referrals don't get done(cost).

When i had initial assessment for Autism last year,i finally realised my communication and particularly relationships all had a pattern,and it clicked. CMHT would rather put it all on me and say i was a person with a bad personality and everything my fault cos i'm evil! Noone who knows me agrees with this incl gf who convinced me to do assessment as she noticed it.

Good luck with it.

I not sure-NHS like their own diagnosis(very open and shut textbook stuff!). My GF had a diagnosis of ADHD,but NHS refuse to accept it(tho was done proivately in US). Tho drs diagnosis are very hard to challenge-if NHS say u are MH,it sticks. My local NHS trust refuse to erase or even alter old incorrect diagnosis going back 32 yrs! Because my local CCG want me as an 'agressive' patient so as to refuse treatment,etc. CMHT can't tell the difference from frustration and agression. Frustration cos they are useless for my symptoms(Autism/Post Concussion Syndrome).

I understand about why u would pay for a private diagnosis,cos so long and other problems with housing. I done the same cos MRI i wanted in past wouldn't get funded-but who assessed me beforehand,an NHS neurologist! I gave up with it-cos he tried to tell me i don't know where i received a bang to the head,absolutely crazy! Have had MRI since,and proved bang was where i said as showed up in gaps under skin.

I was in a situation where i attended A&E saying i wanted to kill myself-rather than section me,CMHT who just discharged me then,told Police to arrest me(cos they couldn't deal with someone with brain injury!),and i spent 36 hours in a cell about to go to court(had to make up a charge to hold me so long!). All because of refusal to section me-CMHT after i begged them to section me jsut told me in a cell "youre just jealous" !

Then Neuro wasted year of my life with 3 assessments to end up with same diagnosis in something she not trained in! I refuse to ever deal with CMHT ever. Without them and new Autism diagnosis is best thing that ever happened,as actually makes sense,rather than CMHT treat me as a criminal or a liar! 

If you went private for a physical problem it's because you'd want a more comprehensive service and to be seen quicker than the NHS. Not because you want a specific diagnosis. It shouldn't be any different.

Couldn't agree more. Sadly, I can't get the help I need through the NHS quickly enough to help me with other problems which are becoming dangerous.

My house is desperate for basic maintenance, but a house will be irrelevant if I'm not here to live in it. It goes against the grain for me but my only choice is to pay for this now.

I'm going with the Lorna Wing Centre. Expensive, but world leaders and no one will doubt their verdict, I'm sure and I will have confidence that whatever they say is right. They also do NHS work and depending on where you live your trust may be prepared to have you assessed there.

I'm sure there are lots of others across the country. I guess questions I'd ask are do they take NHS cases? Or does the NHS/social services accept their diagnoses. (That might say something about the reliability of their diagnoses. Or what percentage of cases do they diagnose with autism? (If too high, I might be suspsious).

I'm just wondering if there are particular qualification sets or professional memberships you should look for in their clinicians. Perhaps, some one else can advise.

There's a directory of practitioners on this site which might throw up someone near you.

I can only go by what I've experienced. My granddaughter struggled to get an NHS assessment and so we considered going private, but the schools, DLA and local council wouldn't accept a private assessment. I don't understand why, unless they believe it's being 'bought' somehow, which is ridiculous. But that's what we came up against. She was finally diagnosed on the NHS last year. 

I don't know how true this is - surely if it's an MDT of HCPC-registered professionals with appropriate experience for autism assessment it's just as valid? Maybe I'm answering my own question above by saying this though. Huh.

Yep, this is my other angst. The privatisation of NHS services makes me feel sick and I know that even using private services further undermines NHS provision. And yet the idea of trying to survive without knowing and support for 12-18 months feels pretty untenable at the moment.

I am also toying with the idea of getting a private assessment, as my traits are having a significant impact on my relationships, and I'm not sure a lengthy wait would do any of us any good. When I spoke to my doctor about getting referred a few days ago (which she was more than happy to do), I asked her about whether a private diagnosis would be recognised by the NHS and she assured me that it would. I am waiting to find out how long I am likely to wait for an NHS diagnosis, before I make the final decision, but based on what I have been told, going private is still a viable option as far as I am concerned. I hope that helps.

I agree with NAS73222 as far as the NHS goes; use it or lose it. There's something else to consider too. If you ever need to access benefits, or have adjustments made at work or in education, you'll most likely need an NHS diagnosis because a private diagnosis isn't accepted by many places. You might not need anything now but you do need to consider the future if there's ever a change in circumstances. 

Hi Weaver Bird.

The NHS is there to use,once noone uses it,everyone will pay.

If u wanna try to hurry it a little say to them you are finding it hard to cope,and ask GP to write to them to try and say that. Took 4 yrs for me(was 49),but mostly cos they made it too hard locally(closed down service!),and i nearly gave up. Whole of NHS is about budgets-CCG's are a nightmare,stopped relevant treatment for me for decades and treated like a criminal by CCG(health funders,mostly swayed by cost cutting well paid council workers) and council.

Just don't be fobbed off by them,particularly if they say is mental health,cos most appalling service in NHS,not funded at all.

I still have more in depth assessment coming up and guarentee CCG and mental health will interfere with diagnosis and say either i have ADHD or some random personality disorder-as know i won't work with mental health!

I thought that too but I also thought, for them why does it matter? They're going to get their money from you either way. They have no reason to lie, and you can look up and research the doctors who work in the practice.

If you can afford it I think private is the best way to go it's a much faster process I see loads of stories of people wanting for months and months to even get in front of someone let alone getting an assessment and then a diagnosis.

I was on the NHS list, but it was growing daily. In the end my GP referred me to a private practice through patient choice.