What Psicon’s July 2026 update means for families across Kent and Medway.
In July 2026, many families across Kent and Medway received an update from Psicon, one of the largest NHS Right to Choose providers for autism and ADHD assessments, confirming that under current NHS commissioning arrangements, routine assessments could not progress.
Checked October 2026: Psicon’s position is unchanged. Routine Right to Choose assessments are still not expected to resume before April 2027.
According to Psicon:
For families who have already waited months — or years — for answers, this will be incredibly disappointing news.
It’s worth knowing this isn’t an isolated Psicon decision. Across England, at least nine NHS areas have told Right to Choose providers to pause or sharply reduce new assessment activity for the 2026/27 commissioning year, as Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) set the number of assessments each provider is funded to deliver annually. Where an ICB sets a very low activity level, waits that were already often more than nine months can extend much further — in some cases, as Psicon’s own guidance now states, beyond March 2027.
The current estimated waiting time in Kent for an adult ADHD assessment via standard NHS routes, with autism assessment waits of around 3 years. Right to Choose was introduced specifically to shorten waits like these — which makes this news particularly hard to hear. Source: NHS Kent & Medway / Right to Choose provider guidance, 2026.
While a diagnosis can be an important step in understanding your child’s needs, it is not a requirement for your child to receive SEND support in school.
Schools have a legal duty under the SEND Code of Practice 2015 to identify and support children with special educational needs, regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis. In many cases, robust evidence of need can be just as important as a diagnosis when securing appropriate educational provision.
At Education With Lauren, we continue to support families by providing:
Waiting until 2027 shouldn’t mean waiting to get your child the educational support they need today.
A diagnosis explains a child. It has never been the thing that unlocks their support — evidence is.
Not sure what your next steps should be while you wait? A free 15-minute call is a calm, no-pressure place to talk it through.
Book a Free 15-Minute CallA Gap Analysis Assessment gives you a clear, specific picture of how your child actually learns — their strengths, their barriers, and the SEND indicators that may be affecting progress, across areas including:
It gives your child’s school something concrete to act on while you wait — and evidence suitable to support an EHCP application or annual review where one is needed.
“Education With Lauren has been utterly life changing for my daughter. Not only has she helped support her from being behind where she needed to be in education but to now ‘greater depth’. Lauren has also supported us and gone above and beyond with working with the school to support our daughter’s SEN needs.”
“Cannot thank Education With Lauren enough for all the amazing work she has done with Bodhi! Not only has she built his confidence up to a huge level, but she has also helped with other emotional aspects he needed to address.”
Waiting for the system shouldn’t mean waiting to understand your child. That work can start today.
Right to Choose itself has not been abolished. But in Kent and Medway, Psicon has said routine Right to Choose autism and ADHD assessments are on hold and not expected to resume before April 2027, and at least nine NHS areas in England have asked providers to pause or sharply reduce new assessments for 2026/27.
Psicon has said routine assessments are not expected to resume before April 2027. Places on its list are protected, and priority goes to those with the greatest clinical need. For information about your own place, contact Psicon directly.
If your child is on Psicon’s Right to Choose list for an autism or ADHD assessment, the pause applies to them. People already receiving ADHD medication through Psicon continue to have their prescribing and medication reviews.
No. Under the SEND Code of Practice 2015, schools must identify and support special educational needs whether or not a child has a diagnosis. Clear evidence of what your child needs is what helps a school act.
Keep your place on the list, ask your child’s school for a meeting with the SENCO, and gather evidence of how your child learns. A Gap Analysis Assessment from Education With Lauren gives school a specific plan, without a diagnosis and without a waiting list.
This article is general information for parents about the current Right to Choose commissioning position for autism and ADHD assessments. It is a plain-English summary, not legal or clinical advice. If you have concerns about your child or your school’s provision, a free 15-minute call is a good place to start.
“A diagnosis explains a child. Understanding them is what unlocks their support.”