"But you've coped fine until now."— what you've probably been told
Autism (adult assessment)
NHS guideline CG142 covers recognition, referral, diagnosis and management of autism in adults. Adult patients have a legal right under NHS Patient Choice Guidance (NHS England, 19 December 2023) to ask their GP to refer them to any NHS-contracted provider for diagnostic assessment — this is the NHS Right to Choose pathway.
The wait: Adult NHS waits for diagnostic assessment routinely run into multiple years across many ICBs.
Adults who self-identify as autistic are still frequently sent away with a generic mental-health referral or told no NHS pathway exists locally. CG142 sets the clinical threshold for a comprehensive assessment, and the NHS Patient Choice Guidance is explicit that a patient's choice of any qualifying NHS-contracted provider does not require prior commissioner approval.
- An NHS Right to Choose referral via the e-Referral Service to the patient's chosen NHS-contracted provider, in line with NHS Patient Choice Guidance (2023)
- A CG142-aligned referral for comprehensive diagnostic assessment, not signposting to generic IAPT / NHS Talking Therapies
- Confirmation in writing of any post-diagnostic support the surgery is willing to offer or co-ordinate
My GP says there's no NHS pathway in our area — what now?
The NHS Patient Choice Guidance (2023) makes clear that referrals under the legal right to choice can be made to any qualifying NHS-contracted provider, even if the ICB does not have an existing relationship with that provider. The letter names the patient's chosen provider and cites the guidance directly.
What's usually said in the room
"But you've coped fine until now."
What the guideline actually says
Adults who self-identify as autistic are still frequently sent away with a generic mental-health referral or told no NHS pathway exists locally. CG142 sets the clinical threshold for a comprehensive assessment, and the NHS Patient Choice Guidance is explicit that a patient's choice of any qualifying NHS-contracted provider does not require prior commissioner approval.
Source: Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management (CG142)
Outcomes from people with Autism (adult assessment)
One short email each Sunday — anonymised stories from people who got their GP to take them seriously.