Psicon
Right to Choose
Psicon can offer your child an assessment for autism, ADHD (or both) and following a Psicon assessment, ADHD medication at our Basingstoke, Hampshire or Canterbury, Kent clinic. If clinically appropriate, we may also be able to offer online assessment (ADHD only) regardless of where you live in England. From 1st November 2024, the wait time is 9-12 months from the date all pre-assessment paperwork is returned. The 6-9 month wait time will be honoured for all referrals received before this date.
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 nine to twelve 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. 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. Our autism assessments are carried out face to face in our clinics in Basingstoke, Hampshire. and Canterbury, Kent.
ADHD assessments and treatment are available either online, or in person at our clinics in Basingstoke, Hampshire and 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.
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
Complete 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 9-12 months from your referral being accepted.
A Trusted Provider
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. Once the referral has reached 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.
A very smooth and stress free service.
An amazing service from both the clinicians and specialists that saw myself and child, were very helpful, informative, went above and beyond with advise and support. A very smooth and stress free service, thank you
We have been delighted with the service.
We had a wonderful experience from beginning to the end, great waiting times for an ADHD assessment, great communication, professional, we have been delighted with the service.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
We couldn't be more grateful to the great team at Psicon.
Great communication and service from Psicon. My daughter was seen by lovely doctors under the right to choose pathway and we couldn't be more grateful to the great team at Psicon.
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 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 😊
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.
Fantastic clinic. I would highly recommend.
I chose to go here to get diagnosed 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.
Compassionate and caring service.
Compassionate and caring service. I felt heard and listened to during my appointment, where I was able to learn about my new autism diagnosis.
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
All practitioners were friendly, understanding and really knowledgeable
All practitioners were friendly, understanding and really knowledgeable and informative. 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.
Finally able to enjoy life to full.
Life changing! Been able to learn a lot of methods to help with my mental health issues, and finally able to enjoy life to full. Can’t thank you enough!
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.
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.
We felt listened to and respected at every step of the assessment process.
Everyone whom we had contact with from Psicon where amazing and friendly. We felt listened to and respected at every step of the assessment process. We were well informed of each step and always asked if we had any questions.
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.
Amazing service with a short wait time.
Amazing service with a short wait time. Everyone I had contact with were friendly, understanding and helpful.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended, Psicon has made what is an important but stressful journey to diagnosis a little bit more easier
Quick efficient service.
I could not have been happier with timescales, responses and communication.
The whole process took between 6-8 weeks from start to finish.
I couldn’t be more grateful for Pscion. After waiting years on the NHS for my sons ADHD assessment and him constantly being failed by everyone, we decided to go privately instead. The whole process took between 6-8 weeks from start to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
We're here to answer your questions
Thank you for considering us to be your child or young person’s assessment provider under ‘your right to choose’. We want you to know that with Psicon, your child is in safe hands – you have our absolute commitment that we will strive to provide a seamless and transparent service and that we’ll be there to support you throughout your assessment journey.
Whether you’re considering an assessment, or you already have a referral underway, we know that you’ll likely have questions for us. We’ve provided some of our most frequently asked questions below and you can download our full FAQ sheet by clicking here.
My GP is unable to complete the online referral form, what other options are there?
The online form has been designed to be the quickest and simplest method for GPs to use when referring someone via 'right to choose'. The online form is also beneficial because it will be processed as soon as the GP submits the form and you'll therefore get notified with next steps almost immediately. If your GP still isn't able to use the online form, you can download a Word version here. Please note that this will require manual processing by our team which can take up to 4 weeks.
Can I access ADHD medication for my child through Psicon?
Yes, if it is deemed to be the most clinically suitable route for your child, then we can provide treatment and titration with medication following a diagnosis of ADHD. This remains an NHS service, and your child will therefore receive NHS prescriptions charged at the standard NHS tariff by your local pharmacy.
Please note we are unable to offer a titration service for children and young people who have been assessed by a different diagnostic provider (either privately or via the NHS).
Do Psicon accept all referral requests?
For autism assessments, we accept referrals for children aged 3-18 years. For ADHD or combined assessments, we accept referrals for children aged 6-18 years. The child must be within this age range on the date of the referral – referrals made prior to the minimum age birthday cannot be processed.
Psicon are unable to accept referrals for medication initiation/review for those diagnosed with ADHD by another service or provider. If Psicon carry out the ADHD assessment, medication can be considered afterwards (if suitable).
Unfortunately, we cannot accept referrals for adults (aged 18+), for children with a diagnosis of moderate-severe learning disability, or children and young people presenting with mental health difficulties and/or risk.
I’ve returned my forms, what happens now?
Due to high demand for the right to choose service, we are currently experiencing some delays in processing screening paperwork, so please do not worry if you don't hear from us right away. Once your surveys have been processed, we will email you to let you know they have been safely received.
If you’re unsure if the surveys have been returned, in the first instance, we recommend you ask the school directly. This is usually the quickest way to find out. If they confirm they’ve been completed and you haven’t heard from us to confirm safe receipt within 10 days, please call us on 01227 379099.
Once we’ve acknowledged the screeners are all returned, they will be reviewed by the clinical team who will be contact within four weeks with the outcome. If you have not heard from us in this timeframe, please call us on 01227 379099.
I need a little longer to complete the paperwork, what should I do?
We have removed questionnaire deadlines to allow families and schools the time they need to complete them. Please disregard any previous references to a completion date. We want to reassure you that your child will not be discharged if the questionnaires are not returned within a specific time frame. Once all the questionnaires are completed and returned, we will send you a confirmation to acknowledge their safe receipt. We kindly ask parent/guardian to pass the survey link(s) to the school to complete. Where paperwork is returned in a timely manner, assessments will be offered within the anticipated wait time, from the date of the original referral.
Make a Right to Choose referral for GPs
Our online Right To Choose referral form allows GPs in England to refer patients to our service.
For a referral to be accepted, the patient must be eligible to receive a Right to Choose assessment and the below statements must be met.
• This referral is made by a general practitioner at a GP practice in England
• The referral is a clinically appropriate outpatient referral
• This patient does not meet any of the exclusion criteria outlined in the NHS Choice Framework
• This is the patient's first referral for an outpatient appointment for this condition
By proceeding with the referral, you confirm that the referral meets all criteria.
Adults and Children
Referral Form
NHS England Payment Consultation
We understand that you may have concerns regarding the recent information shared by ADHDUK about a consultation on potential changes to NHS England’s payment structure for patient choice providers.
At this stage, this is only a consultation, and no decisions have been made. We are closely monitoring the situation and will be making a formal submission on behalf of our patients and the wider neurodivergent community, as we believe any restriction on patient choice would have serious consequences for access to assessments.
We appreciate that waiting for an assessment can be stressful, and we want to reassure you that no immediate changes have been implemented. We encourage you to stay informed by visiting the ADHDUK website and, if you wish, to contact your local MP to share your concerns.
If anything changes, we will update our patients accordingly. In the meantime, our team remains committed to providing timely and high-quality assessments.