Right to Choose for ADHD and autism assessments
In England you have a legal right to choose who does your NHS ADHD or autism assessment. If your local wait is long, your GP can refer you to another NHS-approved provider, and the NHS pays. Find out what your area is doing, who is quickest and what to do next.
14 of 36 NHS areas in England are capping Right to Choose
Where do you want to start?
How Right to Choose works
- Check you can use itYou need to be registered with a GP in England and not already under a service for the same condition.
- Pick a providerChoose one with an NHS contract for ADHD or autism assessment. Check our waiting times list and your area first.Compare providers
- Ask your GP to refer youTell your GP you want to use Right to Choose and which provider. Most providers have a form for your GP to fill in.
- The provider takes it from thereThey check the referral and add you to their list. Ask early about medication and shared care with your GP.
Protecting Right to Choose
Since summer 2025 some NHS areas have started capping how many people can use Right to Choose. We track every area through Freedom of Information requests, publish what they tell us, and challenge restrictions that leave people waiting.
Common questions
Who can use Right to Choose?
Adults and children registered with a GP in England. It does not apply if you are already being seen by a service for the same condition, or if you are in prison, serving in the armed forces or detained in a secure hospital.
Does it cost anything?
No. Right to Choose is NHS care. So the assessment is part of your NHS care and is free to you.
Your usual NHS prescription charges apply if you are prescribed medication. If you pay NHS prescription charges you may want to consider an NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate, which limits your annual prescription charges to a single annual cost.
Can my GP say no?
Your GP can decline if they do not think a referral is clinically right for you. They should not refuse just because of the provider you have picked. If you think a refusal is wrong, our guide has a letter you can give your GP.
Can children use it?
Yes. A parent or carer can ask the child's GP for a referral. Fewer providers assess children, and our waiting times list shows which ones do.
Does it cover autism?
Yes. Autism assessments are covered in the same way as ADHD assessments.
What about medication and shared care?
After a diagnosis of ADHD you and your provider may decide to start medication. Under Right to Choose it is an NHS prescription you receive. You pay an NHS prescription fee if you are not exempt. You do not pay the private cost of medication.
You normally receive medication via your Right to Choose provider during the "titration" phase (the phase where you start medication). Once at a stable prescription of medication you have the option to ask your GP to take over prescribing.
Your main care stays with your Right to Choose provider (you remain under their specialist care) but the monthly care goes to your GP. This is called a shared care agreement: shared between your provider and your GP.
It is your choice if you want to ask your GP. However, your GP does not have to agree, and many do not, so we recommend asking your GP practice. If your GP does not agree to shared care, most Right to Choose providers will keep prescribing for you.
In the past some providers needed GPs to prescribe, and GPs were saying no. This was leaving some patients with issues. Most Right to Choose providers can now keep prescribing without a shared care agreement, but a small number still require one. Check each provider’s shared care position on our Right to Choose provider pages before you choose.
What if my area is capping?
NHS England has brought in Indicative Activity Plans which allow local ICBs (your local NHS) to restrict the services you can access. The restrictions are on a provider basis so one provider might be restricted and another not. We therefore recommend you view the page for your local area to see the exact options available to you. We think this is wrongful and are campaigning against it.
Area figures update as NHS areas reply to us.