How I shaved 4 years off the waiting time to receive an ADHD assessment without having to pay
It's official. Aged 47 and a quarter years old, and I’ve finally received the diagnosis I've been identifying with increasingly over the past 7 years, since my son received his diagnosis in year 2. I'm ADHD. I have the combined type, meaning I am both inattentive and hyperactive. I never doubted it for a minute, but it's still nice to have confirmation.
And now that I’ve tested the pathway, I want to share with you all how I managed to shave four years off my waiting time without having to pay, because let’s face it, waiting is an extremely challenging pursuit for us at the best of times, especially when it’s about something so crucial!
What is Right to Choose?
The ‘NHS Right to Choose’ scheme launched in 2009, giving all NHS patients who are registered in England the right to choose which provider oversees their care. There are some restrictions around who can use this pathway, as safeguarding measures, and it’s worth noting that you can’t use Right to Choose as a second opinion, as you cannot switch between the two NHS pathways. But effectively, Right to Choose allows you to access certain registered service providers for ADHD and autism assessments, which will then be funded by the NHS.
Since the waiting lists for CAMHS have been growing exponentially in recent times, NHS Right to Choose waiting lists have been growing too, but they are still significantly shorter than NHS waiting times. I waited eight months for my assessment, and was told by the NHS that while they couldn’t tell me when I would be seen, they were currently seeing patients with referrals made almost five years before.
To use the Right to Choose pathway, you will need your GP to refer you. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do that.
5 steps to getting an ADHD assessment via Right to Choose:
Your first step is to build your case. Why do you need an assessment? Do your challenges impact your ability to carry out your daily tasks, and does anything else put you at a ‘higher risk’ of being neurodivergent, e.g. are there others in your family who are diagnosed?
You can add to your case by completing neurodiversity screening tests, which are available widely online, but once you know who you want to be referred to via Right to Choose, you will need to complete the ones they send you, so you might want to wait until then.
Choose who you would like to be referred to via Right to Choose. I went with an organisation called Problem Shared. I chose them for three reasons: firstly, because they offer both autism and ADHD tests, and although I didn’t feel the need to do both, I think offering both so you can do them concurrently is incredibly helpful for some people. Secondly, they didn’t abandon you immediately after diagnosis; they offer psychoeducation and a medication pathway if you are interested in exploring meds as an option. And thirdly, because they state that they have a “shared care agreement” in place, meaning, should I choose to try medication, they should be able to pass prescribing over to my GP so that future prescriptions could be covered by the NHS (saving hundreds of pounds every month). If you want to compare other services, ADHD UK has a good list: Right to Choose - ADHD UK
Once you’ve chosen, I suggest registering with your preferred provider as you will then be able to access the relevant screening tests for you to complete, and they will be able to support you on your journey.
You’re now ready to contact your GP and convince them you need an assessment. Once you’ve convinced them, ask them to refer you via the NHS and the Right to Choose pathways. The reason I suggest asking for both is that if the Shared Care Agreement doesn’t work, and you choose to medicate your condition, you may still need an NHS assessment to get meds prescribed by the NHS, and if you don’t need one, you can cancel at any time.
