• Replies 2 replies
  • Subscribers 67 subscribers
  • Views 65 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Right to choose?

ASDmum1725

Hello everyone,

I am new here and currently waiting on an assessment for my son. He has been on the waitlist now for about 9months.

I was speaking to a mum friend today who has recently been told her daughter may have autism and that she has decided to go through right to choose due to the wait times being so ridiculous. I realised that I had completely misunderstood what right to choose was and thought it was completely private. It was only after having this conversation that I then went on to learn more and find out that it is still funded through NHS and a recognised diagnosis.

I am now feeling completely torn and also feel guilt at not looking into this sooner to be closer to answers for my son. I don't know whether to consider this now but after 9months on the waitlist already I worry about him coming off of that list if I pursued right to choose. With possibly another 3years+ to wait though I think, am I silly to not consider this??

I wish they could understand just how stressful the wait is for us parents that just want what's best for our children.

Has anybody gone through right to choose and what was your experience?

Parents

  • Hi ASDmum1725,

    I went through right to choose for my autism assessment and am currently going through same process for ADHD. Unfortunately, you do have to ask for right to choose, the GP will not offer it to you - presumably because of the greater cost to the NHS. It can however, mean significantly shorter waiting times. For my ADHD assessment, NHS waiting time where I am is currently 6-7 years (I was asked to complete wrong form initially, despite requesting right to choose) whereas what I should have done was find a good private clinic that offers right to choose assessments, sent the referral form provided by them to my GP and get them to fill it in and send it back to the clinic. I have now, after a lot of nagging and chasing the GP surgery, got that done.

    I think the only thing to be wary of is, if you want to get a health care plan in place for your son, make sure that your GP surgery will recognise the diagnosis from the particular provider you are using. I am not clear on that part at all though, so do check and research that because I was diagnosed later in life so this wasn't a concern for me.

    I don't know if beginning a right to choose referral automatically means that your son would be removed from the NHS waiting list - I can understand why this would be a concern though if he has been on it for 9 months already. Right to choose is definitely worth looking at as it might significantly reduce the time you wait from this point.

    Good luck.

Reply

  • Hi ASDmum1725,

    I went through right to choose for my autism assessment and am currently going through same process for ADHD. Unfortunately, you do have to ask for right to choose, the GP will not offer it to you - presumably because of the greater cost to the NHS. It can however, mean significantly shorter waiting times. For my ADHD assessment, NHS waiting time where I am is currently 6-7 years (I was asked to complete wrong form initially, despite requesting right to choose) whereas what I should have done was find a good private clinic that offers right to choose assessments, sent the referral form provided by them to my GP and get them to fill it in and send it back to the clinic. I have now, after a lot of nagging and chasing the GP surgery, got that done.

    I think the only thing to be wary of is, if you want to get a health care plan in place for your son, make sure that your GP surgery will recognise the diagnosis from the particular provider you are using. I am not clear on that part at all though, so do check and research that because I was diagnosed later in life so this wasn't a concern for me.

    I don't know if beginning a right to choose referral automatically means that your son would be removed from the NHS waiting list - I can understand why this would be a concern though if he has been on it for 9 months already. Right to choose is definitely worth looking at as it might significantly reduce the time you wait from this point.

    Good luck.

Children
No Data