We are currently accepting patients for adult autism NHS assessments
Right to Choose
If you are registered with a GP surgery in England and you are referred by a GP to a consultant or specialist in mental health, you have the legal right to choose the organisation (qualified provider) to whom you are referred, as long as that organisation is providing that service in another part of England.
As we have an NHS contract to provide adult ASD diagnosis services with an Integrated Care Board (ICB) in England, we fulfil the criteria to be a qualified provider under the NHS Right to Choose (RTC). As long as your GP feels a referral is appropriate and will make a referral to us, we are able to get your ASD assessment paid for by the NHS. Find out more about RTC via the NHS website.
- Download and complete this AQ10 form, this will assist your GP help identifying whether you should be referred for a comprehensive autism assessment.
- We have a standard letter you can take to your GP explaining how you are seeking a referral under Right to Choose. Download and amend this letter to include your details (including your email address) and address it to your GP.
- Take both of the above to your GP and if they feel an ASD assessment is appropriate, ask to be ‘referred to Solutions 4 Diagnostics under Right to Choose‘.
Your GP needs to send us the following 3 items:
- A short covering letter stating that they wish to refer this patient (you) to Solutions 4 Diagnostics for an ASD assessment, under NHS Right to Choose legislation.
Please give a brief explanation for the referral. This letter should be addressed to Solutions 4 Diagnostics and should have your GP’s name at the bottom (not ANP or other). Please also include the patient’s email address (found in the letter given to you by the patient) as we are an online service.
- A brief medical summary of the patient.
- The AQ10 form that has been completed by the patient.
Important: Please ensure that all of the above information is included as we are unable to process incomplete referrals.
The GP referral (including the above as attachments) should be sent by email to: s4d.rtc@nhs.net
Once we have received the referral from your GP, one of our Patient Care Advisors will notify you via email that you are on the waiting list and advise on the typical wait time.
Right to Choose - your questions answered
RTC stands for Right to Choose. It gives you the right to choose an appropriate healthcare provider if your GP agrees you need to be referred to a specialist.
Any provider that is commissioned in England to provide the service that you are requesting. Solutions 4 Diagnostics is being delivered by Solutions 4 Health and holds a contract with an NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) for adult ASD services, so can be chosen for the same service by any eligible patient registered with a GP in England.
First, you need to discuss your condition and symptoms with your GP. If they agree that you may have ASD and that you need to be assessed, you have the legal right to choose an appropriate provider such as Solutions 4 Diagnostics. The referral can be sent to us directly from your GP.
We will contact you by email or telephone. Failing that, we will write to you. If you are expecting to hear from us and haven’t, please contact your GP surgery to find out the date they sent the referral.
No, under the NHS rules the referral must come from your GP. You can self-refer if you are paying privately.
It only covers the assessment.
Assuming that your GP is refusing to refer you due to funding concerns and not a clinical reason, you can ask them to read the NHS information governing patient choice. Common causes of confusion are the fact that we are not commissioned in your ICB, which is not relevant, or that the GP is only aware of applying through an IFR (Individual Funding Request) and asking the ICB for permission first, which again, is not necessary.
Unfortunately, not. You must be registered with a GP in England to be eligible.
The consultant will advise you of their findings and a letter with recommendations will be sent to your GP to advise on your further care. You will not have to pay anything; the cost of this assessment will still be covered.
Unfortunately, no. The patient choice rules cover all aspects of healthcare, but you can only choose an eligible provider that has an NHS contract for the service you require. At present, we are commissioned for ASD assessments and treatment only.
At present we can only see adults under the terms of our contracts.
If you were assessed for ASD by an NHS consultant psychiatrist, then you can only have a second opinion if paying privately. However, if your initial diagnosis was a private one you can access an assessment from Solutions 4 Diagnostics under your RTC if your GP is prepared to refer you.
No. The right to choose rules cannot be used to swap provider mid-treatment. If you are unhappy with your existing care, you will need to reach a resolution with your current provider.
No. We can only invoice the ICB from the date of the referral.
If your GP surgery is registered in England and your GP needs to refer you to a consultant or specialist in mental health, you have the legal right to choose your mental health service provider.
However, you do not have the right to choose if:
You require emergency treatment.
You are currently serving a prison sentence, or if you’re on temporary release.
You are detained in prescribed accommodation.
You serve in the armed forces.
You have already received care and treatment for the condition.
You are detained in a secure hospital environment.
You are detained in a hospital under the Mental Health Act of 1983.
