If you are waiting for an NHS ADHD assessment, you may not need to wait. Right to Choose is a legal right under the NHS Constitution that allows you to choose your healthcare provider for assessment and treatment, often dramatically reducing waiting times from years to weeks.
Right to Choose is established under the NHS Constitution and the Health and Social Care Act 2012. It allows NHS patients in England to choose which provider carries out their first outpatient appointment. For ADHD, this means you can ask your GP to refer you to a specialist provider like Psychiatry-UK or ADHD 360 instead of waiting on the local NHS pathway.
This is not a private route. The assessment and initial treatment are funded by the NHS. You do not pay for the assessment itself. Once diagnosed and stabilised, your care is transferred back to your GP or local NHS service under a shared care agreement.
This is an existing legal right, not a loophole. Right to Choose is part of the NHS Constitution. Your GP cannot refuse a referral on the grounds that a local service exists, though they can decline for other clinical reasons. If your GP is unfamiliar with the process, the providers below have template letters and guidance you can share.
Right to Choose applies to NHS patients in England who have not yet had their first outpatient appointment for ADHD. If you are already on an NHS waiting list but have not yet been seen, you can still request a Right to Choose referral. You do not need to have been previously assessed or diagnosed.
Right to Choose does not currently apply in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, which operate under different NHS frameworks. However, similar pathways may exist under devolved health services.
Book an appointment (or write to your GP) and request a Right to Choose referral for ADHD assessment. You can mention the specific provider you would like to be referred to. If your GP is not familiar with the process, Psychiatry-UK provides a template letter you can download from their website.
The two most established Right to Choose providers for ADHD in England are Psychiatry-UK (the largest, with the most capacity) and ADHD 360. Both are CQC-registered and have formal agreements with NHS England. Waiting times vary but are typically weeks to months rather than the years-long NHS pathway.
Once referred, you will receive an appointment (usually via video call) with a specialist who will carry out a full ADHD assessment. If diagnosed, they will discuss treatment options including medication. The assessment is NHS-funded.
If medication is recommended, you will enter a titration period where the dose is gradually adjusted. During titration, the provider manages your prescriptions. ADHDose tracks your response at each dose level so you have data for every review appointment. Once stabilised, your care transfers to your GP under a shared care agreement.
NHS ADHD waiting times in many areas exceed 2 years. Some regions report waits of 5 to 7 years. Right to Choose providers typically assess within 4 to 16 weeks, though this varies by provider capacity and demand.
Psychiatry-UK processes thousands of Right to Choose referrals and is the largest provider by volume. Their current waiting times are published on their website. While you wait for your referral to be processed, you can start building a pre-medication baseline with ADHDose so you arrive at your assessment with data.
"My GP said they do not do Right to Choose." Right to Choose is a legal right, not a discretionary service. If your GP declines, ask them to explain the clinical reason. You can also contact your local ICB (Integrated Care Board) or PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) for support.
"Will I have to pay?" The assessment and initial titration are NHS-funded. You will pay standard NHS prescription charges for your medication (or nothing if you have a prepayment certificate or exemption). Some providers charge for missed appointments.
"What about shared care?" Once stabilised, your provider writes to your GP requesting a shared care agreement. Most GPs accept these, but some decline. If your GP declines shared care, you may need to continue with the provider privately or find a GP willing to accept the agreement.
Right to Choose provides an alternative assessment pathway. Once assessed and prescribed, you enter the titration process. During titration, your prescriber needs to know how you are responding to each dose adjustment. ADHDose tracks your medication concentration through the day, logs your focus, sleep, and mood, and provides data you can share at your review appointments.
If you are currently waiting for your Right to Choose referral to go through, you can start building a pre-medication baseline now. Track your sleep, focus, and daily patterns so that when medication begins, you have a clear "before" to compare against.
ADHDose tracks your medication concentration through the day and predicts your wind-down window. Built for UK medications.
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