This week, Purple House Clinic (PHC) – a private psychology clinic – is set to open Leicester’s first specialised neurodiverse assessment centre. The new facility will provide a number of services, including assessments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning difficulties (Educational Psychology), and sensory difficulties (Occupational Therapy), in a bid to tackle the overwhelming demand for assessments in the Leicestershire area.

“We are excited to announce the launch of our second PHC here in Leicester. Since 2018, we have provided individualised, easy-to-access psychological services to adults and children across Leicestershire. Our team of 22 associate clinicians have helped with various assessments and mental health difficulties, including depression, anxiety, phobias, PTSD, complex trauma and personality issues,” said Vicki Edwards, the Director of Purple House Clinic Leicester.

“With the pandemic and increased awareness of mental health issues, the requirement for our services has skyrocketed. In 2022 we saw 410 patients from the surrounding area – the majority of which wanted neurodiverse assessments – an increase of 52% from the previous year.”

“This emphasises how important our services are to the local community here in Leicester. By opening a second clinic dedicated to neurodiverse assessment, we aim to help reduce waiting times for people already looking in the area and provide a viable alternative to using NHS services.”

The news of the centre will come as a relief to many people in Leicestershire, particularly when the number of patients who rely on NHS services received their first care contact within 13 weeks rose from 6,928 to 8,973, a rise of 30% between 2021-20221. This is a troubling national statistic when you consider around 1-7 people in the UK are predicted to be neurodiverse (have ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and Tourette’s syndrome)2.

“In Leicester, our most popular service is definitely the specialist assessments for neurodiversity. We have noticed our waiting list was getting longer and longer due to increased patient demand, so we decided it was time to open a new clinic. This means we can now carry out even more specialist assessment services and ultimately help more people receive the right diagnosis and treatment faster.”

“Inside the new clinic, we have two psychiatry rooms for assessments, treatments and follow-ups. We also have a psychological assessment room and a variety of areas for family, individual, couple and adult therapies. As well as all this, we are looking to bring in four more psychiatrists and four clinical psychologists to add to our fantastic team of qualified clinicians.”

As well as offering individual support to adults and children, PHC also provides training, workshops and lectures to organisations on subjects related to mental health, psychology and child development, as well as providing consultancy and clinical supervision services.

Purple House Clinic’s neurodiverse assessment clinic is located at The Crescent, King Street, Leicester, LE1 6RX.