Ask your GP to refer you (or your child) to a Right to Choose ADHD provider instead of your local NHS service. It applies in England only, needs GP agreement, and waits in 2026 are often under 12 months.
The steps, in order
- Pick your provider first. It has to hold an NHS contract to assess ADHD in your area (your "qualifying provider"). ADHD UK keeps a list of providers and a free letter you can hand your GP.
- Book a GP appointment and say you want a referral for an ADHD assessment using your Right to Choose. Bring examples of how the symptoms affect daily life, work or school. The GP has to agree an assessment is clinically appropriate.
- Ask the GP to send the referral straight to your chosen provider, not to the local service. You cannot self-refer under Right to Choose; the referral must come from the GP.
What it is, and who can use it
Right to Choose is a legal right in the NHS Constitution for England, set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012. It lets you choose any provider with a qualifying NHS contract for your first outpatient appointment. It applies in England only (not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland), and you or your child must be registered with an English GP.
Adults are clearly covered. For children it depends on the provider: some Right to Choose services assess from age 6 or 7, others are adult-only, so check the provider takes under-18s before you ask the GP to refer. See our plain-English guide to Right to Choose for how it works alongside the NHS route.
Timeline and waiting
Once a complete referral reaches the provider, waits in 2026 are typically 6 to 18 months, usually shorter than the standard NHS pathway, which can run from 18 months to several years. The assessment, diagnosis and any medication that follows are free; Right to Choose is an NHS service, not private. If you want to compare, here's how long the standard NHS ADHD wait is.
If your GP says no
A GP can decline if they do not think an assessment is clinically appropriate, but they cannot refuse simply because they dislike Right to Choose or prefer the local service. Ask for the reason in writing. If you think the refusal is wrong, contact your Integrated Care Board (ICB), which funds the referral, or use the practice complaints process. For 2026 to 2027, some ICBs have capped how many Right to Choose assessments they fund, which can lengthen waits.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.