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Right to choose

Hergé

I had a frustrating conversation yesterday with my local NHS mental health clinic who did my initial ASD referral.

I got my assessment result through just before Christmas and it said that I was indeed autistic. I ended up going through the right to choose option as I'd been on the NHS waiting list for about 3 years with no apparent end in sight. I was calling to ask the clinic about any support or guidance that they offered to autistic people and what they said surprised me, apparently they don't recognise most autism diagnosis from most non-nhs providers. 

The person I spoke to seemed to imply that if I wanted a proper assessment and diagnosis I'd have to go back into the NHS waiting list (which is now 8 years ISH).

If you are assessed by a NHS approved provider. who uses the recognised diagnosis criteria you would think you'd end up with a valid excepted diagnosis. If this is actually the case, what is the actual point of having an assessment under right to choose.

Sorry, rant over.

Parents

  • Essentially under Right to Choose the NHS is still paying for the assessment. They are just paying a private provider that you have selected. Therefore it is nonsensical that they would not recognise the diagnosis they have paid for. Although, that said, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. I had my assessment under Right to Choose, but I’ve never looked into what additional support there is because there isn’t any, and that would annoy me!

    if I were you I would contact your local MP and possibly CC Wes Streeting. Labour are supposed to be clearing the NHS backlog, not adding to it!

Reply

  • Essentially under Right to Choose the NHS is still paying for the assessment. They are just paying a private provider that you have selected. Therefore it is nonsensical that they would not recognise the diagnosis they have paid for. Although, that said, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. I had my assessment under Right to Choose, but I’ve never looked into what additional support there is because there isn’t any, and that would annoy me!

    if I were you I would contact your local MP and possibly CC Wes Streeting. Labour are supposed to be clearing the NHS backlog, not adding to it!

Children
  • in reply to The Riddler

    I've contacted my assessment provider and the local PALS via email to see what they say before I go further.

    On the assistants front the clinic had suggested that I contact a local autism organisation for help. I spoke to them and they have a four month waiting list before they can offer to see me, they have over 1200 clients and just 4 staff.

    When I mentioned this to person at the clinic they were very dismissive and said that their waiting list was longer and that I'd have to wait.

    Hopefully it's just a case that I spoke to someone that was either poorly informed and/or were having a bad day.