Seeking advice on getting a diagnosis as an adult in a region of Scotland where it’s not provided through the NHS

Hey everyone!

I am in need of some advice as to what options I have. Over the past years I have started thinking that I’m on the spectrum. A lot of my friends are and they also see it in me.

I went to the gp in the summer because I was really struggling and they said there was nothing they could provide for me. I was informed that they don’t provide adult assessments in the region I live in (Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland) and they suggested I go private. Since then I have looked at the private assessments and I really can’t afford them as they seem to be incredibly expensive (the ones accepted by the NHS). I’m not sure what to do and feel at a bit of a loss, I have no social life and I can’t keep a job for long as it exhausts me and I struggle navigating the social side.

I have another appointed with the mental health nurse at the beginning of next months as I haven’t been doing well. Do you have any advice on what options/course of action I should take? I was wondering if it would be worth asking for a general mental health screening in the hopes that it might lead to something else. Would another option be asking for a referral outwith the region? Is there any kind of funding one can access in order to go private?

I would love any kind of advice or suggestions as I’m quite lost with what to do (even if its just about my upcoming appointment). Private seems to be my only option but it’s also so far out of my reach. Thanks ️

Parents

ArchaeC 4 months ago

overwhelmed & underwhelmed ( O & U ) said:
It is a common misconception that all areas of the NHS provide the same service, when in fact each home nation, and each ICB decides what can be offered in their area.

I am amazed at the unfairness of this. I imagined that everyone in the UK had equality of access to assessment and diagnosis of every physical and mental condition as well as autism I don’t live in Scotland, so I don’t know the system, but you could try searching online for the nearest adult autism services to where you live and ask where people in your area get referred to. You could try this over a few different regions. Would it be worth contacting your local MP?

Not every GP or mental health professional is fully aware of autism or if a diagnosis is requested, where to refer the person. I had been having various interventions for depression and anxiety over the years, and my ‘strange rituals’ as they were termed by my doctor were not recognised as autistic traits by her or by mental health professionals, also they knew I was living a pretty isolated life. The possibility of autism was picked up recently during psychotherapy but my GP referred me to Mental Health Services rather than Adult Autism Services. I ended up with a private diagnosis because the NHS waiting list was 4+ years.

Reply

ArchaeC 4 months ago

overwhelmed & underwhelmed ( O & U ) said:
It is a common misconception that all areas of the NHS provide the same service, when in fact each home nation, and each ICB decides what can be offered in their area.

I am amazed at the unfairness of this. I imagined that everyone in the UK had equality of access to assessment and diagnosis of every physical and mental condition as well as autism I don’t live in Scotland, so I don’t know the system, but you could try searching online for the nearest adult autism services to where you live and ask where people in your area get referred to. You could try this over a few different regions. Would it be worth contacting your local MP?

Not every GP or mental health professional is fully aware of autism or if a diagnosis is requested, where to refer the person. I had been having various interventions for depression and anxiety over the years, and my ‘strange rituals’ as they were termed by my doctor were not recognised as autistic traits by her or by mental health professionals, also they knew I was living a pretty isolated life. The possibility of autism was picked up recently during psychotherapy but my GP referred me to Mental Health Services rather than Adult Autism Services. I ended up with a private diagnosis because the NHS waiting list was 4+ years.

Children

Iain 4 months ago in reply to ArchaeC

ArchaeC said:
I am amazed at the unfairness of this. I imagined that everyone in the UK had equality of access to assessment and diagnosis

The English parliment gave the parliments of each country the ability on how they chose to prioritise their spending within the NHS as part of their devolved powers so it seems this is an entirely local government choice.

People elected their governments so they need to hold them accountable in their own countries.

I have close family ties in Scotland and still hear of the "initiatives" from the SNP where lots of money is spent on vanity projects instead on things like mental health so it is clear where the fault lies here.

We have to respect their local autonomy and the choices made by their elected officials.

I agree it is a poor show but this is part of the package of independence.

ArchaeC said:
Not every GP or mental health professional is fully aware of autism or if a diagnosis is requested

I understand the training for understanding basic autistic information is mandatory now but older doctors who are more set in their ways may choose not to do this or just treat it as a box ticking exercise.

It would be nice if all medical staff were up to speed and had the time / interests in looking out for our best interests but in reality this is not the case and many resourcing liitations and human failings are getting in the way still.

It really helps to take more control to research your symptoms, identify probable causes and insist on referrals to specialists in the fields in writing. By having a paper trail it will make the doctor more acutely aware that they are laying themselves open to malpractice lawsuits if they simply ignore them, especially if you include a researched justification on why you believe it is a possible diagnosis.