Autism and ADHD assessments (Right to Choose) Jan 26
We wanted to share a further update following our recent communications about some providers pausing to autism and ADHD assessments through the NHS Right to Choose (RTC) pathway.
We are aware that Clinical Partners and Paloma Health and Autism 360 have communicated with families about pauses to new assessments. It is possible that more providers may also need to pause their assessment service. These pauses are due to more children needing assessments than there is funding available right now. There is no change to the NHS Choices Framework which states that patients have the right to choose which provider they receive their first outpatient appointment from (and subsequent treatment).
We know how worrying and frustrating this is, we want to reassure families that:
your child remains on the waiting list with the right to choose provider unless you choose to withdraw
these pauses are made by individual providers, once their funding runs out for the financial year
it is likely that families waiting for an assessment will move forward in the new financial year (April 2026)
Support is available while you wait.
Even without a diagnosis, schools, colleges, early years settings and health services can and should:
put support in place based on your child’s needs
use the graduated response in school (support that builds step by step)
What you can do:
Read your school’s SEND Information Report (on their website)
Talk to your child’s class teacher or SENCO about what support is in place and what else is possible
Visit the Local Authority’s Local Offer website – a central source of information about services and support for children and young people aged 0–25 with SEND
Visit the neurodiversity ‘hub’ a new site created by the integrated care system for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. It offers information to support local neurodivergent people, with a particular focus on autism and ADHD.
Contact SEND and You, the local SEND Information, Advice and Support Service, who can help you:
understand SEND processes and your rights
build confidence when talking to schools and services
communicate your child’s needs, wishes and aims
If you are struggling while waiting, or need support navigating what is available locally, please do reach out — you are not alone. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and share updates as soon as we receive them.
SGPC support: Here at South Glos Parent Carers (SGPC) we are all parent carers ourselves and understand the challenges you face. We have a range of support available.
Email our peer supporters: reach out, ask questions and get support from our team: Online email support
Click the images below for full details the support sessions and workshops.
Our role as your local Parent Carer Forum
We know this decision is causing distress for many families. We are:
Listening to what parent carers are telling us
Trying to understand whether other providers may also be affected
Raising concerns about the impact of long assessment times on children, young people and their families
Feeding families’ experiences into our work with health and local authority partners to support earlier help for children and young people.
There are a number of ways you can tell us about your views and experiences right now:
By filling in our ‘We’re Listening’ form - this is a quick way to have your say any time you want to update us.
By completing our current Health Services Survey , closing 18th January. – we want to know how well all the different services work for you - whether that's getting a diagnosis in the first place; managing your child or young person's condition; how well healthcare providers talk to you, each other and other local services; or any other successes or issues you've had with the many different people who support your family's health.
January 2026