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Worried about GP appointment

Emmie

Hiya, I’ve made an appointment with my GP to ask for a referral to an adult autism assessment service. However I have tried this one before - but my GP told me that there were no adult autism services to refer me to, and I was instead referred to Talk Together services for anxiety and depression and I ended up receiving CBT. I’m not great at speaking up for myself nor do I feel I have any expertise especially considering that services vary by area. If the GP says there are no services then there are no services - but there must be something, otherwise I’d have to get a private assessment, which isn’t ideal for me. 

My appointment is today and I’m so worried I will be turned away or redirected. I really just want some answers and long term solutions. I need a specialist to talk to even if it isn’t autism but I just feel that my GP won’t be supportive. When I look up the services I might be referred to I can’t find anything, so I don’t even think I could counter them if they say there are no services because I have no idea who that should be referring me to.

Anyone had this issue before or knows more about the services I’d be referred to? I’m in the south east London/Kent area, if that helps. Thank you!

Parents

  • Hi Emmie and welcome to the community!

    You might find the advice here helpful.

    As you're in England and therefore qualify for the option, it also includes details of how to request a referral to an approved, private sector assessment provider via Right to Choose (RTC), which might result in a much shorter waiting time than for an assessment carried out by the NHS itself. If you were to choose this option, your referral and assessment would still be fully funded by the NHS:

    NAS - How to request an autism assessment

    Some RTC-approved providers like Psychiatry UK, for example, operate via online appointments, so are available to patients throughout England, with no need to travel to them.

    I was on an NHS waiting list for two years before I learned about RTC and switched to it (on the recommendation of an NHS psychiatrist). My assessment and diagnosis then followed just a few months later (although waiting times might be longer now).

    Some examples of other RTC providers are listed here.

Reply

  • Hi Emmie and welcome to the community!

    You might find the advice here helpful.

    As you're in England and therefore qualify for the option, it also includes details of how to request a referral to an approved, private sector assessment provider via Right to Choose (RTC), which might result in a much shorter waiting time than for an assessment carried out by the NHS itself. If you were to choose this option, your referral and assessment would still be fully funded by the NHS:

    NAS - How to request an autism assessment

    Some RTC-approved providers like Psychiatry UK, for example, operate via online appointments, so are available to patients throughout England, with no need to travel to them.

    I was on an NHS waiting list for two years before I learned about RTC and switched to it (on the recommendation of an NHS psychiatrist). My assessment and diagnosis then followed just a few months later (although waiting times might be longer now).

    Some examples of other RTC providers are listed here.

Children
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