NHS Essex ICB Local Pathway

1. Speak to your GP
 Discuss your concerns and ask whether a referral for an autism and/or ADHD assessment is appropriate.

2. GP referral
 If agreed, your GP submits an electronic referral under the NHS Essex ICB local pathway.

3. Initial contact
 Once we receive the referral, our team will contact you, usually within four weeks, to begin the assessment process.

4. Questionnaires and information gathering
You will be asked to complete questionnaires and provide supporting information. For children and young people, this may include input from parents/carers, schools and others involved in the child’s care.

5. Clinical triage
 Our clinical team reviews the information to confirm the most appropriate assessment pathway.

You can find out more about what happens during an adult autism assessment on the dedicated page here.

For children and young people, the assessment process is tailored to your child’s individual needs and may include:

• A detailed developmental and medical history
• Standardised questionnaires and rating scales
• A face-to-face clinical assessment
• In-person observations (including school observations and ADOS assessments where required)

Assessments are delivered by a multidisciplinary team, which may include clinicians from psychiatry, paediatrics, psychology, Occupational Therapists and speech and language therapy.

You can read more about what to expect from each type of assessment – ASD, ADHD or Combined – on our dedicated assessment pages.

After the assessment:

• The outcome or diagnosis is shared with you clearly and sensitively
• You will receive guided information and advice about next steps
• If a diagnosis of autism or ADHD is confirmed, further signposting through psychoeducation will be offered
• A written diagnostic report is provided, usually within eight weeks

Reports are written in clear, accessible language and include:

• The assessment findings
• Any diagnosis given
• Recommendations and signposting for support

With your consent, information is shared with your GP.

If an ADHD diagnosis is confirmed and medication is clinically recommended:

• Psychoeducation and non-medication support is required first, in line with NICE guidance
• Medication initiation and monitoring may be provided where this is included in the MSE contract
• Medication is carefully monitored through scheduled reviews
• Once treatment is stable, we work with your GP to request a shared care agreement, where appropriate

If shared care is not immediately accepted, we continue to work with the GP and ICB to ensure safe ongoing support.

It’s important to be clear about the limits of this service:

• This pathway is not part of the national Right to Choose scheme
• We can only accept referrals from GPs in Essex
• Must currently live in Essex
• Ongoing support beyond what is commissioned by the ICB may need to be accessed through other services

If your GP is based outside Essex:

• Your GP will not be able to refer you through this pathway
• You may wish to explore:
  • Self-pay assessments, or
  • Other NHS pathways available in your area

View Our Assessment Pathways

NHS activity limits for the NHS Essex ICB pathway

As part of our commitment to transparency, we want to explain how this local NHS pathway is managed within agreed NHS capacity arrangements.

Like all NHS-commissioned services, the NHS Essex ICB local pathway operates within an Indicative Activity Plan (IAP) agreed with the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

In the future, the ICB may introduce a financial or activity cap for this pathway.

If this happens:

• The agreed funding would be translated into a defined number of assessments
• Once that limit is reached, referrals may need to pause until further activity is agreed
• Any such limits would be clearly communicated on our website

We believe it is important to be open about how NHS services are planned and delivered, so families understand how access is managed.

You can read more about how Indicative Activity Plans work across NHS services here:

How NHS Activity Limits Work