The NHS route in Birmingham and Solihull

As of the most recent update from NHS Right to Choose providers, NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB has told providers it cannot currently offer new booking dates for NHS-funded ADHD or autism assessments — referrals are still being accepted and added to a waiting list, but new appointments are paused while the ICB works through capacity. No public estimate has been given for how long that pause will last.

This is exactly the kind of area-by-area shift that makes NHS Right to Choose hard to rely on as a plan: it can be open when you're referred and paused by the time you'd expect an appointment. If you're in the Birmingham and Solihull area, it's worth checking the current status before assuming either way, since it can change again.

The private route

Private assessment sidesteps the pause entirely, but the same two questions apply here as everywhere else: is the quoted price the full process (assessment, titration, and a plan for ongoing prescribing), or just the first appointment — and what happens if your GP won't take over prescribing afterwards. Shared care is always at the GP's discretion, never guaranteed, regardless of who diagnosed you.

What to actually do

• If you're waiting on the NHS/Right to Choose route in Birmingham and Solihull, confirm directly whether bookings have reopened rather than assuming the pause is still in effect (or has lifted).
• Ask any private provider what their shared-care fallback actually looks like before paying for an assessment.
• If speed and a clear all-in price (not just the first appointment) matter to you, that's exactly the gap we're exploring whether to fill.