NHS Mid and South Essex has commissioned three new specialist Right to Choose providers to provide Autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people in mid and south Essex.
These new service providers will offer families more choice for their care provider and reduce waiting times for assessment and treatment.
The providers listed below have been quality assured by the ICB to provide NHS standards of care. They are a locally approved route for patients requesting referrals for Autism and ADHD services, helping ensure patient care is safe, coordinated, and aligned with local NHS pathways.
More options for patients
The following providers now form a network of locally commissioned NHS services for children and young people in mid and south Essex.
In addition to the services commissioned from local providers EPUT, NELFT, and Provide CIC, local GPs can now refer patients directly to one of these providers as part of patients’ Right to Choose:
These new providers will work alongside our current Autism and ADHD service providers, enabling more children to be assessed sooner and helping to reduce waiting times.
They can offer Autism/ADHD assessments, as well as ADHD medication services (starting and adjusting medication) if needed and will work with GPs under agreed shared care arrangements. This means more children’s prescriptions and reviews can be managed locally when possible.
In addition, four more providers have been commissioned and will start accepting referrals later this spring. This webpage will be updated with their details when they start accepting local referrals.
The referral process
Please note that referrals to the new providers must be made by your GP. Schools cannot refer children to these new providers using My Care Bridge. This is because the new providers operate under Right to Choose guidelines and only GPs are legally able to make referrals to Right to Choose providers.
Local schools can continue to refer children to the Community Collaborative using My Care Bridge as they currently do.
In addition, work is underway with the current providers to support young people who have already been waiting over one year for an ADHD and Autism assessment, which includes those preparing to transition to adult services, to move to these new providers.
Patients’ Right to Choose
Patients have the right to choose who provides their ADHD care.
Under the Right to Choose guidelines you can choose your specialist provider, but to ensure your care is safe and joined up with other local services, the ICB does encourage patients to select from the providers that are accredited and commissioned within our local care system.
These locally approved providers have undergone full due diligence and quality assurance checks to ensure they meet the ICB’s standards for safety, clinical effectiveness, and continuity of care.
If you wish to be referred to another Right to Choose provider, please research the available providers to ensure the services they provide are suitable and meet your needs. Some providers only offer an NHS assessment and diagnosis service. That would mean patients would need a referral to another provider if treatment for the condition is required.
Before making a referral under the NHS Right to Choose, your GP must be satisfied that the provider offers a clinically appropriate and quality-assured service that meets NHS standards for safety, effectiveness, and continuity of care.
For more information about choosing a Right to Choose Provider, visit:
About Patient Choice / Right to ChooseThe Patient Choice Policy for Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System is available at:
Patient Choice Policy