We are happy to accept referrals to our clinic from across the UK.

Due to changes in national genomic testing, we no longer require genetic testing in advance of referral.

We will however require genetic testing to be carried out locally to you before confirmation of diagnosis if there is a Moderate to Severe Learning Disability/Intellectual Disability or severe dysmorphic features identified either as part of the assessment in the FASD clinic or if this is known prior to the referral.

Local genetics services are centrally funded by the NHS and the national genomic testing service is delivered through a network of seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs), each responsible for coordinating services for a particular part of the country.

Please note: For local services and services with a supervision arrangement, there is a different process. Contact us at FASDadminteam@sabp.nhs.uk for more details.

The role of our team is to assess and, where appropriate, diagnose FASD and therefore we are not able to provide treatment for mental health difficulties. Therefore, if the person being referred to the clinic is experiencing mental health difficulties, please speak to a trusted adult. For example, this might be someone in your family, a teacher at school or your GP.

You can contact NHS 111 any time to access support for your health. To get urgent mental health support, call 111 and select option 2. If you are worried about your immediate safety or the immediate safety of someone else, please call 999. Visit the https://111.nhs.uk/  and https://111.wales.nhs.uk/ websites to learn more, including other ways to get support.

We advise local care teams not to wait before offering treatment to help with any mental health difficulties an individual may be experiencing.

Ongoing responsibility for care management and implementation of the management plan will continue to reside with the local care teams.

What to consider before making a referral:

  • Is there a history or suspicion of alcohol exposure in pregnancy?

  • If the person being referred has an identified Moderate to Severe Learning Disability/Intellectual Disability or severe dysmorphic features, have genetic tests been completed to rule out other disorders?
  • Can a local service complete an equivalent assessment? (funding to our national clinic may be unlikely unless local resources have been considered first)

Making a referral:

  • Individuals being offered assessment must be aged 6 or over.
  • If the person being assessed has an identified Moderate to Severe Learning Disability/Intellectual Disability or severe dysmorphic features, a local referral for genetic testing must be underway
  • Funding must be in place via Integrated Care Board/Integrated Care System (ICB/ICS) or private payment – purchase order number for ICB/ICS must be included where applicable. Full invoice will be sent with a minimum payment of 50% to be provided in advance of first appointment (purchase order needed for NHS).

Referrals must come from a healthcare practitioner via letter (if referring for courts, please contact us before considering referral).