Right to Choose (NHS England)
For latest Right To Choose Providers waiting list information click here.
Introduction
If you are based in England under the NHS you now have a legal right to choose your mental healthcare provider and your choice of mental healthcare team. This important right means that, for instance, should you decide the waiting time for your ADHD assessment is too long, then you can choose alternative providers. The provider must supply the service to the NHS somewhere in England. The providers we are aware of are listed below and we update the list regularly.
Right to Choose within mental health is a relatively new option (since 2018) and as such, not all patients, GPs or other clinicians are aware of it and how it works. We’ve got an explanation targeted for people going through the ADHD Assessment process below.
For how Right to Choose fits into the diagnosis pathway please click here. We’ve also got a downloadable support letter for anyone who finds their GP has initially declined them.
You will also find significant amounts of information via the NHS link on NHS choices below:
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/your-choices-in-the-nhs/
Read the adult diagnosis pathway first
This is a detailed page on Right to Choose which aims to provide additional information for those that need it. To understand the context and use of Right to Choose it is important to read the Adult Diagnosis Pathway page first.
The Right to Choose System
Patients have the Right to Choose when the following conditions are met:
- the NHS practice is in England (different rules apply for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
- the General Practitioner has agreed to make clinically appropriate outpatient referral (Of note: The decision to make a referral is the GPs responsibility and separate from Right to Choose. Right to Choose is a patient’s right to decide where that referral is to
The above is designed to be wide ranging in its application to patient choice. However. there are certain restrictions on a patient’s Right to Choose that you should be aware of. Patients cannot use Right to Choose is they are:
- already receiving mental health care following an elective referral for the same condition
- referred to a service that is commissioned by a local authority, for example a drug and alcohol service (unless commissioned under a Section 75 agreement)
- accessing urgent or emergency (crisis) care
- accessing services delivered through a primary care contract
- in high secure psychiatric services
- detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
- detained in a secure setting. This includes people in or on temporary release from prisons, courts, secure children’s homes, certain secure training centres, immigration removal centres or young offender institutions
- serving as a member of the armed forces (family members in England have the same rights as other residents of England.
There are restrictions on who the patient can direct their care to. Patients cannot refer to just any provider. The provider must:
- have a commissioning contract with any Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) or NHS England for the required service
- have the service and team led by a consultant or a mental healthcare professional
Common GP queries include:
- does an IFR (Individual Funding Request) need to be in place? It does not
- does the CCG need to be asked permission? It does not
For the avoidance of any doubt: It is our clear understanding, and we know of hundreds who have done so, that an ADHD Assessment generally falls under Right to Choose. It is also our clear understanding that psychiatry-uk.com are a permitted provider.
As a charity we are passionate about helping those with ADHD. We are aware of many long waiting lists within the NHS and therefore will direct people to Right to Choose. If you think it would help, we are also happy to mediate and advocate for those patients where their Right to Choose is being discussed. If you would like to get in touch please contact us.
Right to Choose Providers – ADHD Assessments
We are aware of the following Right to Choose providers. If you are aware of any more then please let us know. To be notified of new providers as we learn about them please join our mailing list.
Accepting new referrals:
ADHD 360 provide both Right to Choose and Private ADHD Assessments. They started providing their Right to Choose service in mid-2021.
December 2023 Update: They are open for Right to Choose bookings. We are being told the wait list is around 8 weeks, but they would anticipate a slight rise in this after the break. Medication (if requested) is sequential to assessment, and we are told that there is no substantive secondary queue for medication.
Psychiatry-uk.com. May be the largest provider of right to choose ADHD assessments in the UK. Their assessments are predominately done by video call, which has become common place since the start of the pandemic. Psychiatry UK provide details on Right To Choose, including a downloadable letter to give your GP, here.
January 2024 Update: They re-opened for Right to Choose in October (after pausing in August 2023). We are told the current wait list for diagnosis for Adults is around 12 months. If you opt for medication, then there is a secondary queue that is estimated to be 3 months. That gives a total time from start to treatment with medication (if opted for) of approximately 15 months.
Dr J and Colleagues provide both Right to Choose and Private ADHD and Autism Assessments. They are a small provider and tell us that means they can work through the funding provision from the NHS particularly quickly.
December 2023 Update: We are told that they are currently taking Right to Choose bookings for both ADHD and ASD and have a 3 week waiting time for either.
Clinical Partners provide both Right to Choose and Private ADHD and Autism Assessments.
It is important to note that Clinical Partners provide an ADHD Assessment Service but they do not offer a medication titration service.
This is, therefore a great fit for individuals who want an ADHD Assessment but know that medication isn’t something they want to pursue.
To those thinking about the option for an Assessment with Clinical Partners and tirtration/medication elsewhere you need to be aware that we are not aware of any NHS Right to Choose providers, or private providers, who offer a titration only service. We only know of providers who require undertaking their own Assessment prior to offering titration as an option.
January 2024 Update: Currently, the wait times for adult or child and young person ADHD assessments on the Right to Choose pathway are between 12 and 24 weeks. Additionally, for adults, children or young people on the Right to Choose pathway for an autism assessment, the wait time is 12 weeks.
For up-to-date waiting time information, please contact 020 3761 7029, or email rtc@clinical–partners.co.uk
We do not currently offer medication titration. However, this is something we’re looking at introducing in the future
Evolve Psychology have two clinics based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They offer Right To Choose assessments for ADHD and Autism (or both as a combined neurodevelopmental assessment) for children/ young people up to the age of 19 who are in education. They do not have a Right to choose service for adults (although they do have a private adult service for ADHD and Autism Services). They can accept referrals England-wide. They prefer face to face assessments, but might be able to offer online assessments depending on individual circumstances if the team feel it would be appropriate.
December 2023 Update: They are still at 12-month waiting times. Due to high demand, they are only able to take referrals for 0-19 year old but do take private and Insurance referrals for adults.
Psicon offer ADHD face to face appointments only in Canterbury, Kent can can accept referrals from anywhere in England.
December 2023 Update:
Children and Young People (Under 18 years):
Wait times are always subject to change due to demand, but the current wait for an assessment is approximately 6-9 months.
- Autism [Right to Choose]: For 3 to 18 years. The offer in-person Asssessments in Canterbury . They can accept referrals from anywhere in England if families are willing to travel.
- ADHD assessments [Right to Choose]: For 6-18 “are offered in-person in Canterbury or can be carried out online if clinically suitable (For example, complex cases may be better face to face)”. They can accept referrals from anywhere in England if families are willing to travel.
Adults:
- ADHD medication/treatment can also be offered face-to-face in Canterbury from December 2023, and will remote prescribing online will follow in Jan/Feb 2024 (which will make it easier for those in other counties).
- We previously advised medication was only available to those registered in Kent but this is no longer the case.
Clients can access an ADHD assessment-only pathway, if they wish, they do not have to go on to have medication (or may not be suitable).
Visit https://www.psicon.co.uk/ for more information.
Paused or stopped taking new referrals:
Axia ASD are based in Chester and offer local physical and England-wide virtual assessment options under Right to Choose for adults only, and Private for adults and children. For Right To Choose, they provide diagnosis but do not take on medication or titration process, so it’s important to check with your GP or local mental health clinic that they can support the medication process if required.
July 2023 Update: As per their website, ADHD assessments are no longer offered since end of December 2021, only ASD for the time being.
In the event of a GP initially declining your Right to Choose
The vast majority of GPs understand Right to Choose and appreciate the need for many patients to use it to bypass long NHS waiting lists (we are campaigning against those). Within ADHD UK we’ve heard countless stories of GPs helping their patients with it and are grateful to them for doing so. In a very small number of cases we know of GPs initially refusing to allow a patient their Right to Choose. In the majority of these cases it has been due to a slight misunderstanding and not appreciating it was a patient right. To help people in that situation we have a downloadable letter for you to give your GP.
