NHS Right to Choose adult autism assessment wait times

At Clinical Partners, we’re committed to seeing every patient in the order they were referred. To keep things fair, we manage separate waiting lists for different conditions and age groups — for example, children’s autism assessments or adult ADHD assessments. Your place in the queue is based only on patients referred for the same type of assessment as you.

Several factors can affect how long it takes to be seen. Every neurodevelopmental assessment is different, and some cases are more complex than others. For example, when a person has more than one condition, needs additional investigation, or requires adjustments to support communication and comfort during the process. Because we aim to support all patients, not just those with the simplest needs, the time it takes to complete each assessment can vary. This means that even with a structured booking process, it’s challenging to forecast exact wait times.

As a national partner to the NHS, Clinical Partners has worked closely with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to support the recent changes in how Right to Choose referrals are managed. Since January 2025, these changes have been significant, rapid, and ongoing, and we’ve been sharing data, insights, and clinical expertise to help shape how services are delivered, always keeping patient needs at the heart of every conversation.

Each ICB is applying the national guidelines at a local level, shaping their approach to meet the needs of their population in line with available funding and resources. This is an evolving process, with regional requirements continuing to change. As a result, national providers like Clinical Partners have had to respond flexibly and quickly. We’re continuing to adapt our services to reflect each ICB’s expectations across different conditions and age groups and at the moment this is leading to some regional variation outside of our control.

Our approach aims to ensure that care is appropriate and aligned with regional needs, but it also adds a level of complexity to how we plan and deliver care across the country. We recognise that this can sometimes affect how long patients wait to be seen. Throughout, we’ve remained committed to being clear and transparent with our patients, so you feel informed, supported, and aware of your choices.

Despite our best efforts to adapt swiftly, the speed, scale and uncertainty of these NHS changes have, in some cases, led to longer waits than expected for our patients. We are doing all we can to manage this while continuing to prioritise fairness, care quality, and communication.

Check for updates from your ICB

We’ve invested heavily in new systems to monitor referrals, track progress, and make sure every patient is treated with care and accuracy. We remain firmly committed to seeing every patient in the order they were referred as far as we are able to do so under NHS commissioner instructions, and ensuring fairness across all patient groups.

We’ve also increased capacity wherever possible — including expanding our clinical team, improving referral tracking systems, and working closely with ICBs to resolve regional delays. Despite this, there are sometimes individual cases that take longer to move forward, for example, if there are issues with the referral details, or if we’re waiting on confirmation from the ICB. In these instances, we work closely with all involved parties to avoid delays and ensure that no one is left behind.

If your wait time has already passed the initial estimate you were given, please be reassured, this does not mean you’ve been forgotten.

We will contact you as soon as we are able to offer an appointment for your type of assessment. All of our assessments are delivered by specialist clinicians, which means that availability can differ depending on the type of assessment needed. In some cases, one type of assessment may be booked quickly, while others take longer due to capacity.

We’re always monitoring this carefully and doing our best to increase access across all services. However, because of the complexity of this system, we’re not always able to give a new or more specific wait time once you’re already on the list.

We know this waiting period can be frustrating, and we’re sorry that things are taking longer than expected. Please rest assured that your referral is still in progress, and we’ll contact you as soon as we can offer a slot. We’re grateful for your patience, and we’ll continue doing everything we can to get you the support you need.