Families in Northamptonshire seeking autism and ADHD assessments are facing further delays after the county’s NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) set limits that have put Right to Choose assessments on hold. Among them is Victoria McConnachie from Gayton, whose nine-year-old daughter Alba has been on the NHS waiting list since 2023. The NHS had agreed this year to fund a private assessment for Alba, but the provider has since told the family it can no longer go ahead, and McConnachie says the scheme is not working. Henry Shelford, CEO of ADHD UK, called the restriction “outrageous,” saying it reduces support rather than keeping pace with need, undermines the purpose of Right to Choose, and recreates the postcode lottery it was designed to reduce. The ICB says demand has risen significantly and acknowledges that people waiting for routine assessments may face longer waits while it develops a more joined-up, needs-led approach.

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