Published on 12, July, 2020
My son had a video autism assessment today with Psychiatry UK through NHS Right To Choose and the people assessing him said he does have a lot of autistic traits but not enough to "cross the threshold". The appointment lasted for less than 30 minutes. Does anyone know whether their decision can be challenged or whether he is entitled to a second opinion elsewhere. Advice please.
When I had my private assessment with Shropshire Autonomy last year, the information gathering (pre-assessment) video call lasted between 5 and 6 hours. I then had a further 30-40 mins with an NHS psychiatrist for my formal medical assessment. Half an hour seems way too short in my opinion, especially for an adult. Shropshire Autonomy generally works out cheaper than some of the other private diagnosis routes, as most of the leg-work is done at the pre-assessment stage by Sara Heath, who is non-medical autism specialist. Additionally, she will only refer you the NHS psychiatrist if she is confident that there is sufficient evidence for you to actually gain a medical diagnosis. If you are wanting a second opinion and have to go private, I have no hesitation in recommending Sara at Shropshire Autonomy as a possible route for you. Good luck to you and your son, whatever you decide.
Thank you for that information, I will look into that. He would definitely like a 2nd opinion.
I was going to share the link to her website with you, but it looks like it is down at the moment. I can send you her email address later if you need it. Also, feel free to ask me any questions you may have, either publicly or privately.
Thank you. I did look for the website and found it unavailable, but have come across Shropshire Disability Network which looks to have the contact details on.