What is Right to Choose for ADHD?

In England, Right to Choose is your legal right under the NHS Constitution to choose which NHS-contracted provider carries out your ADHD assessment — including several private providers that hold NHS contracts. You stay within the NHS and pay nothing, but typically wait months rather than years.

Is Right to Choose really free?

Yes. The assessment, diagnosis, and any NHS-approved treatment that follows are funded by the NHS. You don't pay. It is not the same as going private.

Does Right to Choose apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?

No. Right to Choose is an England-only legal right. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different referral systems and do not offer the same statutory choice of provider.

Can my GP refuse a Right to Choose referral?

GPs can decline in limited circumstances, but they generally cannot refuse simply because they prefer the local service. If your GP is unsure, bring the provider's Right to Choose referral form and the NHS guidance, which most providers supply.

ADHD Right to Choose, Explained (England, 2026)

Right to Choose is your legal right, in England, to choose which NHS-contracted provider assesses you for ADHD — including providers that hold NHS contracts but run much shorter waiting lists than your local service. It's free, it's still the NHS, and it's currently the fastest no-cost route to an adult ADHD assessment for most people in England.

What is Right to Choose?

Under the NHS Constitution, for most routine outpatient referrals to a consultant-led service in England, you have the legal right to choose your provider — any provider that holds an NHS contract for that service. ADHD assessment is included. Several specialist providers (Psychiatry UK, ADHD 360, ProblemShared and others) hold NHS contracts, so you can be assessed by them at no cost to you while local NHS waits stretch into years.

Why it matters right now

NHS adult ADHD services are overwhelmed. In many areas, the local waiting list is 2–5 years or more, and some trusts have temporarily closed their lists entirely. Right to Choose is the legal mechanism that lets you go around that bottleneck without paying privately. (For the full picture of waits, see how long the NHS ADHD waiting list really is.)

How to use Right to Choose — step by step

1. Choose a provider. Pick an NHS-contracted ADHD provider with a shorter wait. Each publishes a Right to Choose referral form on its website.
2. Download their referral form. It's usually a short PDF addressed to your GP.
3. Book a GP appointment (or, with some surgeries, send the form via reception/eConsult). Say clearly: "I'd like a Right to Choose referral to [provider] for an ADHD assessment."
4. GP submits the referral. The provider then contacts you with their (much shorter) waiting time.
5. Get assessed — here's what happens in an adult ADHD assessment.

What if my GP hasn't heard of it?

It's common. Bring the provider's referral form and a printed copy of the NHS Right to Choose guidance (most providers link it). Be polite and specific. If your GP still declines without a clinical reason, you can ask for the reason in writing and contact your local Integrated Care Board (ICB).

After diagnosis: the medication question

If you're diagnosed and start medication, the long-term prescribing usually moves back to your GP through a Shared Care Agreement — worth understanding before you start, because not every GP accepts shared care.

A note if you're parenting while you wait

Whether you're mid-referral or years down the list, you don't have to white-knuckle it alone. Present: Parenting with ADHD is written from the inside for parents whose own minds won't sit still — and the ADHD mental load piece has tools you can use today.

> Nothing here is medical advice — it's lived experience, meant to sit alongside real support, not replace it. If you're struggling, please see the support resources. If you're in crisis in the UK, call Samaritans free on 116 123, or dial 999 in an emergency.