Hi,
I'm new here and in need of advice. I've been pretty sure for a while that I'm autistic (since my now-teenage daughter started the assessment process about six years ago) and suspect also ADHD. During an appointment with an NHS mental health person a few weeks ago, I told him this and he asked questions and did bits of the questionnaires with me and agreed it's likely. He gave me the full questionnaires to complete and send back to my GP, and told me I'd be able to get an assessment through Right to Choose.
I've now had a response from my GP, and apparently I'm only eligible for Right to Choose if I fit certain criteria - referred by a safeguarding team, referred through legal proceedings, struggling to manage long-term physical health condition, struggling with education, or repeated loss of employment due to symptoms. And I have to provide "written evidence from a suitable authority".
Has anyone come across this before? I thought Right to Choose only depended on where you live. The only one I might fit is physical health, but I'm afraid "sometimes don't manage to take my medication" won't be enough. Are mental health difficulties likely to count if they lead to physical consequences (depression with self-harm)? I don't know what to do, and if I don't get this then it's a multiple-year waiting list.
