Published on 12, July, 2020
Has anyone been diagnosed through right to choose just for assessment and then been refused therapy or medication through NHS?
Under right to choose, patients can only be referred to providers that already have an NHS contract to provide that type of service. There's no reason why any recommended therapy or medication should not be supported via the NHS.
Whilst Fibonacci Squid is, of course, correct in saying that there is no medication for autism, assessors may still make recommendations in respect of medication for related conditions such as depression and/or anxiety - as they did in my case, for example. My GP issued the prescriptions accordingly and also arranged the recommended therapy.
The only criterion for a valid diagnosis is the relevant clinical qualification and specialisms of the person or persons making the diagnosis. Where the money came from to pay for the assessment is irrelevant. The NHS pay for 'Right to Choose' assessments, therefore it would be highly illogical for any NHS body to refuse therapy on those grounds. If any NHS body tries this 'guardo move' on you, refer them to the official NICE guidelines for autism diagnosis, where the minimum requirements for a valid adult autism diagnosis are spelt out - and no mention of funding is made.
There isn't a medication for autism and autism relevant therapy is few and far between.
Are you sure it's due to the mechanism of your autism diagnosis and not that the area just doesn't have what you're looking for?