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Autism-Spectrum

Checked: 22-01-2025 by Vicky Ryan Next Review: 10-03-2026

BASS Autism Services for Adults

Bristol Autism Spectrum Service (BASS) provides a service to adults with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) and professionals and carers who support them.

There are allocated services for four geographical areas:

BASS@Bristol
BASS@Bath and North East Somerset (BANES)
BASS@North Somerset
BASS@South Gloucestershire

BASS does not hold a caseload or care coordinate. Referrals are accepted for people within Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

GP Information

Please see the Autism in Adults -CKS for further advice for GPs considering referral to the Autism service.

BASS Referrals

Patients can be referred for Diagnostic Assessment or Post-diagnosis Support. There are two separate referral forms.

There is a link to the Referral forms on the Bristol Autism Spectrum Service (BASS) webpage, the forms should also be available in EMIS.

Referrals will be screened by the service prior to acceptance for assessment.

Contact details:

Tel: 01275 796249

Address: BASS – Bristol Autism Spectrum Service, Avon and Wiltshire NHS Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Petherton Resource Centre,3 Petherton Road, Hengrove, Bristol BS14 9BP

Email: awp.bassreferrals@nhs.net

Clinical Partners Referrals

Clinical Partners are commissioned to provide Autism services for CYP/adults in BNSSG, from 1^st December 2024. Age range for the service is 18 years and over. They have delivered services under Right to Choose in BNSSG for some time. Referrals can be made via https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/nhs-services/right-to-choose or GP referral form to rtc@clinical-partners.co.uk

Right to choose referrals

The qualifying criteria for Right to Choose is that a provider holds an NHS Standard Contract for the service requested with an ICB in England or NHS England. For patients wishing to choose a “Right to Choose” provider it is important the patient understands that the provider may not integrate with local BNSSG pathways and/or other services as the provider does not hold a contract directly with BNSSG ICB. It is advisable for the GP and patient to agree the most suitable provider as the referral must be “clinically appropriate” for the patient under choice framework.

Right to Choose providers known to BNSSG ICB, to date, that have a contract with another ICB in England and therefore, can offer Adult Autism services under Right to Choose (patient choice) are:

Autism360
Axia ASD
Dr J & Colleagues
Mind Professionals
Oakdale Therapies
Problem Shared
Psychiatry UK
RTN Mental Health Solutions T/A RTN Diagnostics
Skylight Psychiatry

Patients will only be eligible for NHS treatment if referred by their GP. Please note some RTC providers offer an assessment only service. Post diagnostic support is not always available.

Please see the attached spreadsheet which summarises the current services offered by RTC providers, including referral information and exclusions. See the relevant tab at the bottom of the page for ADHD/ASD Adults/Children.

Post diagnostic support - where a provider has indicated availability of post diagnostic support, referrers/patients should contact them directly to check what this includes before making a decision on this basis. Some post diagnostic support offers for ADHD and Autism may be limited to signposting to other organisations; so patient expectation around this should be managed at the outset.

The list of Right to Choose providers above is not exhaustive. If a patient requests referral to a provider that is not listed then please email the mental health contracts team on bnssg.mh.contract@nhs.net who can check that the appropriate Right to Choose contract is in place.

Resources

Autistic Spectrum Support Group (North Somerset)

Autistic Spectrum Support Group meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Wednesday in the month.

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.