Children & Family Support

Right to Choose: ASD & ADHD Assessment Pathways

Did you know that in England, NHS patients have a legal right to choose their mental healthcare provider for ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments? This pathway can help reduce long waiting times and is free of charge.

What is Right to Choose?

  • Introduced in 2018, it allows patients to select an NHS-approved clinic for assessments.

  • Gives families more control and faster access to care.

  • Applies to ADHD and ASD assessments for both children and adults.

Who Can Offer Assessments?

  • Clinics must provide the same NHS services to offer Right to Choose.

  • Private-only clinics cannot participate.

  • Check a provider’s website to confirm eligibility.

How to Use Right to Choose

  1. Talk to your GP about concerns regarding ADHD or ASD.

  2. Research and select a clinic that meets your needs.

  3. Send your clinic choice to your GP via email.

Important Things to Know

  • Some clinics can diagnose ADHD/ASD but may not provide medication.

  • Waiting times: Right to Choose = 12 weeks to 12 months; NHS local waiting = up to 7 years.

  • A diagnosis alone can help with school support, workplace accommodations, and understanding your needs.

Who Cannot Use Right to Choose?

You are not eligible if:

  • You need urgent or emergency care.

  • You are already receiving care for the same condition.

  • The clinic cannot provide appropriate care.

  • You are in secure settings, under the Mental Health Act, or in the armed forces.

Helpful Resources

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRACTICE DOES NOT ACCEPT SHARED CARE AGREEMENTS FOR ADHD MEDICATION OR ANTI-PSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS

Why vaccination is important and the safest way to protect yourself

Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent many infectious diseases. This page explains how vaccines work, what they contain and the most common side effects.

Please find attached link for more information

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hub

Local Children’s Autism Hub expands support for families

Children, young people, and families can now access more support, as the Telford Children’s Autism Hub is expanding their current offer of post diagnosis support, thanks to additional funding from NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The extra funding means the hub is also able to offer information, advice and support for families at the pre-diagnosis stage and who are on the pathway awaiting an autism assessment.

Families can access the service if their child or young person is 0-18 years old and lives in Telford and Wrekin. The hub is funded by Telford & Wrekin Council and NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The hub works in partnership with other services to ensure children who are on the pathway or have a diagnosis of autism receive the best support available, including the Adult’s Autism Hub to ensure transition from childhood to adult service provision is smooth and consistent.

An official launch event will take place in early February to promote the service to families living in Telford and Wrekin.

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Launch of Community and Family Hubs webpages

Launch of Community and Family Hubs webpages

Shropshire Council and its partners have launched new webpages to highlight the community and family support on offer in hubs all over the county. 

The Community and Family Hubs are located in Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Market Drayton, Highley and Ludlow, with activities and guidance available to help families and residents stay healthy and connected. 

There is a wide range of support on offer based on feedback from communities, from early help for families, domestic abuse support, help to stop smoking, information and housing and more, for all ages, which all links to NHS integrated neighbourhood teams. 

Whilst much of the support is already ongoing, the new webpages bring the services together to one online space, so people can easily search and find what they need. 
 
Please click the link here to access the resources.

NEW Healthier Together STW Initiative

Healthier Together is a UK-wide programme which aims to improve outcomes for children and their families, and is a free website full of resources and materials including information leaflets, self-care advice and guidance on when and how to access healthcare services.

The resources also include physical and mental health support and advice, helping support parents, carers and professionals to keep children in their care safe and healthy.

The website is available by clicking on the link HERE and brings together all local help available. It also signposts where to seek further assistance from health and social care professionals.

 

Children & Family Support

Community/Hospital Services Providing Additional Support

The Early Help Front Door Service is a single point of contact for partner agencies, children, young people and their families, focused on making sure that the right support is put in place as soon as it is needed.

For more information, please click on the link HERE

 

Childhood Immunisations Campaign

The UK's childhood vaccination programme prevents around 5,000 deaths, and over 100,000 hospital admissions, each year in England.

Vaccinations have ensured the UK has been declared free of diseases such as polio, with others, like diphtheria, almost fully controlled. However, in recent years we have seen a trend of lower vaccine uptake, and this has been exacerbated by the pandemic. 

We have already begun to see increased cases of measles and whooping cough, with outbreaks around the country, so there is an urgent need to ensure children are vaccinated and protected against these serious illnesses.

Children & Family Support
Children & Family Support

Weaning Advice

"Weaning need'nt be a stressful time for parents, as there's lots of support available" is part of the reassuring message being shared by Health Visitors across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

Local healthcare professionals are offering advice to parents on introducing solid food to their baby's diet. A national NHS campaign has re-launched this week to reassure parents and provide advice on what is a significant milestone in their baby's life. 

For more information, please click HERE

 

Children Vaccination
Children & Family Support

The Lullaby Trust

The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families. For more information, please visit their website HERE

 

 

Happy and Healthy food
Happy and Healthy food

New 'Open Up' Campaign to Tackle Loneliness in Children

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin has unveiled a new initiative aimed at addressing the issue of loneliness among children in the region.

The 'Open Up' campaign, launched to co-inside with Loneliness Awareness Week (10-16 June), seeks to raise awareness about the signs of loneliness and provide practical guidance and support to parents, carers, and children on how to prevent and combat loneliness. 

It comes at a time when loneliness is a growing concern, research from Sports England found that over 350,000 young people (years 7-11, aged 11-16) said they feel lonely, which the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates to be more than one in nine young people.

For more information about the Open Up campaign, visit: open-up.co.uk

Open up campaign
Page last reviewed: 26 August 2025
Page created: 09 November 2023