Psicon
Right to Choose
Psicon can offer your child an assessment for autism, ADHD (or both) and ADHD medication within 6 to 9 months at our Basingstoke, Hampshire or Canterbury, Kent offices. If clinically appropriate, we may also be able to offer online assessment regardless of where you live in England.
Right to choose
You can choose where you go for your NHS assessment and treatment.
As part of the NHS Choice Framework, as long as you’re registered with a GP in England you have the legal right to choose the service you want to receive your NHS treatment from. This is true for a range of health conditions or worries, including specific services – such as an assessment for autism and/or ADHD.
Here at Psicon, we support several NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and provide both autism and ADHD assessments, as well as treatment for ADHD, for children and young people. If your child needs an autism or ADHD assessment, and their GP is registered in England, we can assess them within six to nine months – just ask your GP to make a referral to Psicon under your ‘right to choose’.
How to access our 'Right to Choose service'
If you’d like your child to be seen by Psicon for their autism and/or ADHD assessment (and treatment where indicated), you will need to book an appointment with your GP and ask them to make a referral to Psicon under your ‘Right to Choose’. Your GP will need to complete our referral form and email this directly from the surgery to our dedicated NHS inbox. You can download the referral form by clicking here. Please note that we cannot accept referrals that do not come from an NHS primary care email address.
We have found that occasionally, GPs are not aware of the ‘Right to Choose’ pathway. You may even find that they refuse to make the referral. If you find this to be the case, you can let them know that Psicon are commissioned by Hampshire & Isle of Wight ICB and Frimley ICB to provide autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people as an NHS provider. Please also be aware that autism assessments are carried out face to face in our clinic in Canterbury, Kent or Basingstoke, Hampshire.
ADHD assessments and treatment are available either online, or in person at our clinic in Canterbury, Kent. Online assessment and treatment is not suitable for all children, and we can only provide a remote service for those who are deemed to be clinically suitable. A decision on whether an individual child is suitable to be seen online is made on a case-by-case basis once the referral has been reviewed.
Under the Patient Choice framework, you have the legal right to choose who carries out your child’s ADHD assessment. The provider doesn’t have to be local to you, and you can make your choice based on waiting times, but the provider must be directly commissioned by an ICB to carry out that service. If your GP feels they need more information before making the referral, they can contact us directly on 01227 379099.
Next Steps
Step 1
Make an appointment with your GP.
Step 2
Download our referral form and give this to your GP to complete.
Step 3
We will contact you once we have received your referral.
Step 4
You will be asked to complete and return some pre-assessment questionnaires.
Step 5
We will contact you to let you know if your referral has been accepted and add your child to the waiting list.
Step 6
We will offer you an assessment date typically within 6-9 months from your referral being accepted.
Introduction
Why the NHS choose us
Psicon is one of the largest and most experienced specialist neurodevelopmental healthcare providers in the UK, partnering with NHS Trusts across the country. We have built our reputation on providing high quality expert care quickly, reliably and with kindness. Our patient-centred approach is respected by Trusts and Commissioners and is a source of great pride to all our team.
Psicon are proud to be a trusted NHS provider of autism and ADHD assessments for children and adults. If you or your child has been referred to us by the NHS, this will be because your local Trust have determined that you will receive your assessment more quickly by transferring your care to Psicon. Since 2014, we have worked with many NHS Trusts and ICBs and will ensure your experience with us is seamless and transparent, and that your expert clinical assessment will be delivered as quickly as possible.
90% of patients assessed by Psicon through the NHS rated us as “good” or “very good”*
Over 18,000 autism and ADHD assessments completed on behalf of the NHS since 2014
NICE compliant assessments fully accepted by NHS and schools/colleges
A team of Experts by Experience dedicated to ensuring our service is as autism and ADHD friendly as possible.
*1148 respondents to anonymous feedback survey 1st August 2022 to 31st July 2023, NHS Friends and Family test – “Thinking about your recent appointments with Psicon, overall how was your experience of our service?”
We’re with you every step of the way
Assessment Process
Your referral
If you would like to access our service for an Autism and/or ADHD assessment using your Right to Choose, your GP will need to complete our referral form. We can offer your child an assessment if they’re registered with a GP anywhere in England.
If you or your child are already on an NHS waiting list, your local Trust will contact you to explain why they have asked us to assist them and to seek your consent to transfer your referral to us. We will contact you to confirm safe receipt of your information and to let you know what to expect.
Information Gathering
We will send you links to some simple online questionnaires we’d like you to complete, asking for information about you/your child. We will also ask you to provide links to your child’s school or someone who knows you well, so we can gather important information about your/your child’s strengths and needs. These help us with the assessment process.
Assessment
On the day of your assessment, you’ll be met by one or more of our clinicians, who are experts in diagnosing autism and ADHD. They will carry out a clinical interview using well researched and clinically validated assessment tools and combine this with the information gathered from your/your child’s referral and pre-assessment questionnaires. Depending on the type of assessment, you might need to have a second appointment (which may be done online) where the clinician will share their expert clinical opinion, the diagnostic outcome and any recommendations.
Diagnostic Report
After the assessment is concluded, our team will produce a comprehensive report giving a full breakdown of the assessment. The outcome will be clear and easy to understand and include our recommendations for both home and school. We will also send a copy of this to your GP and to your local Trust for your NHS care record.
Testimonials
Some words from our patients
We've helped thousands of patients over the years, and here are some of their thoughts.
I was made to feel at ease straight away
The doctor was very patient and understanding and I was treated with the utmost respect. I came away feeling well informed and I have a plan moving forward for my condition.
Fantastic clinic. I would highly recommend.
I chose to go here to get diagnosed with autism privately. Sadly I have been let down by the NHS since my childhood in the 1980’s and I decided I had to go private, but I would say it was worth every penny and the long drive from my home. Lovely professional staff. Thank you.
Thank you once again for all of your help Psicon!
An outstanding company. Are always willing to help on the phone with any questions, concerns or problems. I would recommend them to anyone.
Quick efficient service.
I could not have been happier with timescales, responses and communication.
The centre is a lovely welcoming place and the professionals put my highly anxious son at ease.
We went to the children's centre to get my son aged 17, a private Autism assessment. From the start the staff were informative and helpful. The centre is a lovely welcoming place and the professionals put my highly anxious son at ease. In fact he even asked when we were going back! After negative experiences with the NHS and school, my son felt that he could finally access support that was right for him. Thank you 😊
Would highly recommend Psicon for any assessments
Absolutely amazing with my son, very easy to talk to and my son loved interacting with the staff.
I would recommend this service to anyone that I know.
I attended the practice in June of 2022. The practice had such welcoming and kind staff members. This really eased any anxieties I had about going to the practice, and set a very calming atmosphere.
Excellent communication and explanation throughout the assessments.
All staff seemed very knowledge, were prompt and courteous and we were given a conclusion by the end of the assessment
From the minute we arrived staff were welcoming and professional.
From the minute we arrived staff were welcoming and professional. Thank you for listening and helping my son to be as comfortable as possible. You were so attentive to his ways and the consultant, speech and language therapist had extensive knowledge and were able to pick up on things I wasn’t even aware of. The support throughout was amazing, everything was explained in detail and I would definitely recommend Psicon to others. Thank you again.
All practitioners were friendly, understanding and really knowledgeable
All practitioners were friendly, understanding and really knowledgeable and informative about autism, but also girls and autism. They managed to put my anxious daughter at ease. They listened carefully, and were responsive to what we were saying. They also gave helpful suggestions to think about with the school and within the family.
They treated me like I was a person
They treated me like I was a person and demonstrated they treat each individual on a case to case base using treatments tailored to the individuals needs. They listened without judgement offering to treat individuals with complex needs.
Exceptional service.
The sessions were well organised. The psychologist was outstanding and it was like they knew me after just a couple of sessions. I would 100% recommend this service. I feel so much better and am going forward with several tools to keep me mentally healthy. I cannot recommend this service enough.
As a parent, it gave me the reassurance that my daughter will grow up knowing how her mind works
My daughter came out of her ADHD assessment feeling very positive about herself and empowered. As a parent, it gave me the reassurance that my daughter will grow up knowing how her mind works and what she needs to put in place to help herself along the way. We are very grateful to have been given such high quality care.
All staff are trained immaculately!
All staff are trained immaculately! Very kind, very helpful. Just wonderful. I could not have asked for a better service!
Frequently Asked Questions
We're here to answer your questions
We know that you will already have been waiting some time for your assessment. If you have been transferred to us, we want you to have confidence that you/your child are in safe hands but we understand that it might be confusing moving between the NHS to an independent provider.
We have supported NHS Trusts across the country for many years now and we have a good understanding of what patients want to know and so we’ve listed some frequently asked questions here.
Where will I/my child be seen?
We work on behalf of many different NHS Trusts and ICBs and will be able to assess you/your child in your local area, most often within an NHS facility such as a hospital or community centre. All information about where you need to go will be contained within your appointment confirmation letter, which you'll receive shortly after arranging the assessment date.
I've had my assessment; how long will it take to receive my report?
Your full diagnostic report will usually be sent out to you within eight weeks of the conclusion of the assessment. We can provide a short letter confirming the diagnostic outcome while you wait for the full report. Just ask us.
How long will I/my child wait?
This is very much dependent upon what your local Trust or ICB have asked us to do and the length of time that they have given us to complete the project. However, the waiting time once transferred to Psicon will usually be significantly less than if you were to remain on the Trust’s waiting list.
Can I access post-diagnostic support through Psicon?
Anyone can access our wellbeing services at Psicon, but at the moment we don't provide these services outside of Canterbury or via NHS referral. Details of our self-funded wellbeing services can be found here. In some cases, following an ADHD assessment, we may be able to provide treatment with medication, depending on the type of arrangement we have with your local Trust or ICB. Our clinicians will be able to provide further information on suitable treatment options following the assessment if you/your child are diagnosed with ADHD.
Get in Touch
We're with you at every step
Everyone’s mind is unique. Many of us are neurodiverse. And while the neurological differences that make us individuals can bring challenges, we believe that with understanding, empathy and expert support, everyone can thrive.
We know that NHS resources are stretched and waiting lists are often long. This can add to the stress and frustration at an already difficult time.
We promise to offer help quickly. Our assessments are of the highest quality, and will give you the answers you need, as soon as possible. We will help you move forward with fresh insight, so you can look forward to a brighter future.