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Important Information About ADHD Assessments and Medication Pathways

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If you are being referred for an ADHD assessment through the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), you may be advised to consider the Right to Choose (RTC) pathway due to long waiting times. Here’s what you need to know:

  1. Faster Diagnosis with Right to Choose:
    • The Right to Choose pathway offers quicker access to diagnosis under the NHS. However, it is important to understand that while the assessment is covered by the NHS, any further care or medication management through RTC providers would be privately charged.
  2. Medication After Diagnosis:
    • If your assessment through Right to Choose results in a diagnosis that requires medication, you will need to be referred back to the CPFT medication pathway for NHS prescriptions. This pathway currently has a wait time of about one year.
    • GPs follow guidance from the British Medical Association (BMA) and do not enter into shared care agreements with private providers, including RTC providers.
  3. Choosing a Provider:
    • You will need to select your RTC provider independently, as GPs cannot recommend specific providers.
    • It is your responsibility to download, complete, and submit the provider’s consent letter accurately.
  4. Understanding Medication Prescriptions:
    • Some patients are unaware that after a Right to Choose diagnosis, medication management typically remains private unless transferred to the CPFT pathway.
    • For example, one patient had been paying privately for medication for a year before realizing they needed to be referred to CPFT to access NHS prescriptions.
  5. Required Documentation:
    • To be accepted into the CPFT medication pathway, you will need to provide full documentation of your approved assessments and diagnosis from the RTC provider. A simple diagnosis letter will not be sufficient.
  6. GP Prescriptions:
    • Our GPs will only prescribe medication after you have been initiated and stabilised on medication by the CPFT Mental Health Team.
    • Please note that RTC providers, even those under the NHS banner for assessments, are not NHS providers for ongoing care or medication.

We hope this clarifies the process and helps you make informed decisions regarding your ADHD assessment and care pathway.