NHS Right to Choose patient referrals for GPs and referrers

Yes, we hold NHS standard contracts across England to provide NHS Right to Choose autism and ADHD assessments for adults, children (aged five and above), and young people.

Yes, if your patient is considering an NHS Right to Choose referral, you can discuss this with them to explore whether it is appropriate for their needs.

If they decide to proceed, or if they want to change between Right to Choose providers, you can refer them directly to their chosen provider.

For both cases you will need to submit the referral to the new provider and ensure the previous provider is informed so they can be removed from their waiting list.

As a GP in England, you can refer your patients to us for specialist treatment such as an autism or ADHD assessment, or ADHD medication under the NHS Choice framework.

Some patients may not be eligible to choose their provider. The NHS has guidance on who this applies to.

Clinical Partners provides specialist autism and ADHD assessments as well as ADHD medication services for patients aged five and above.

• Children and young people (ages 5 to 17) – We offer comprehensive autism and ADHD assessments, as well as ADHD medication titration and ongoing management.

• Adults (18 and over) – We provide autism and ADHD assessments, along with ADHD medication services, including titration, shared care arrangements, and ongoing specialist reviews.

If you are considering a referral, please ensure your patient meets the minimum age requirement of five years old at the time of assessment.

Right to Choose referrals should be made by the patient’s GP or by a locally agreed interface referrer (for example, an NHS referral hub or triage service if used in your area).

This ensures the referral meets NHS England’s Right to Choose requirements and that the patient’s care is coordinated safely.

If you’re unsure whether you're an approved interface referrer in your area, please check with your local ICB or NHS referral team.

For more detailed information about your patient's rights and choices within the NHS, please visit the NHS website: Your Choices in the NHS.

If you have further questions or need additional information about your patient's Right to Choose, you can email the Your Choice Team at england.choice@nhs.net.

Your local ICB can also provide further information and assistance.

Yes, you can still continue to refer patients through Right to Choose. We are still accepting Right to Choose referrals, and patients can continue to access autism and ADHD assessments.

We are working closely with ICBs, NHS policymakers, and healthcare partners to ensure that patient care remains central to any future decisions. If anything changes, we will communicate clear guidance to GPs on this page, ensuring you have the latest information to support your patients.

Yes. However, we encourage everyone to use our online form to submit referrals. The form is secure and has been carefully designed to ensure your referral information is recorded accurately and can be processed efficiently.

While we can accept referrals by email, using our online system will help ensure your patient's referral is processed accurately and efficiently, which could help reduce their assessment waiting time.

When you submit a referral online using our referral form, you’ll receive a referral form number (RF number) once the form is complete.

This number is unique to the patient’s referral and helps us locate their details quickly if you or the patient get in touch with us.

Please share the RF number with the patient after submitting the online referral. They may need it if they contact us with any questions.

When you submit your patient's Right to Choose referral, we’ll send an email to confirm.

If you haven't received the email, please check for an email from Clinical Partners in your junk folder.

We will reach out to you if the patient's correct email address wasn't provided.

Your patient will have a feedback appointment where their clinician will discuss the assessment outcome and the clinical decisions. With your patient's consent, you will also receive a copy of the clinical report.

To protect patient data, we recommend submitting referrals via our secure online form. This method ensures your patient's information is transmitted safely and integrated directly into our systems without delay.

Patient data is used exclusively for clinical purposes, accessed only by authorised professionals, and managed in full compliance with NHS security and data protection standards.

Our Right to Choose assessments are conducted online via secure video call, ensuring accessibility, comfort, and high clinical standards for patients across England.

Remote assessments eliminate the need for travel, allowing patients to complete them from home.

Observing the patient's home environment provides valuable insights into their or their child's preferences, challenges, and family interactions.

Remote assessments are as robust as face-to-face, and are conducted by trained clinicians using evidence-based tools.

Assessments must be conducted on a computer, not a mobile phone, to ensure clear visuals and sound quality which are essential for a thorough assessment.

If a remote assessment presents challenges for the patient due to specific access needs, we will work with them to explore possible adjustments.

Yes, in line with NICE guidelines on ADHD diagnosis and management, patients receiving ADHD medication require ongoing specialist oversight even when shared care is in place.

Adults will continue to have an annual specialist review to monitor treatment effectiveness, tolerability, and any necessary adjustments.

Children and young people will have bi-annual specialist reviews, in line with best practice guidance, to ensure treatment remains appropriate as they develop.

Any changes to medication, including dose titration or treatment discontinuation, will be managed by a Clinical Partners specialist and clearly communicated to you as the primary prescriber.

If you are unable or do not wish to enter a shared care agreement, Clinical Partners will continue to oversee your patient’s ADHD medication and provide ongoing prescribing under specialist care.

• Ongoing specialist oversight: Your patient will remain under the care of a Clinical Partners specialist clinician, who will conduct regular medication reviews—annually for adults and bi-annually for children—in line with NICE guidelines.

• Monthly prescribing and monitoring: A Clinical Partners clinician will undertake the patient’s ongoing medication prescribing and monitoring. However, before each monthly prescription renewal, the patient will need to submit their height, weight, pulse, and blood pressure to ensure safe medication management.

• Alternative options: If shared care is not feasible, you may wish to discuss alternative arrangements with your patient. This could include referring them to local NHS ADHD services (where available) or advising them on seeking a GP who may be able to accept shared care.

If you have any concerns or would like further guidance on shared care arrangements, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Clinical Partners provides specialist autism and ADHD assessments as well as ADHD medication services for patients aged five and above.

• Children and young people (ages 5 to 17) – We offer comprehensive autism and ADHD assessments, as well as ADHD medication titration and ongoing management.

• Adults (18 and over) – We provide autism and ADHD assessments, along with ADHD medication services, including titration, shared care arrangements, and ongoing specialist reviews.

If you are considering a referral, please ensure your patient meets the minimum age requirement of five years old at the time of assessment.

As detailed in and derived from the documentation referenced under section 1 Aims and objectives, the locally agreed assessment standards are referenced on REMEDY and the Provider will comply as follows:

• A comprehensive clinical and psychiatric history, to include mental state and risk assessment.

• A detailed developmental history.

• An up-to-date physical health history (primary care summary can be informative).

• Verbal and/or written collateral history, including school/educational reports, references etc.

• A diagnostic framework (currently ICD-11, DSM-5) should be referred to.

• Evidence of a diagnostic interview, either by using an established diagnostic instrument such as the DIVA, ACE + etc. or detailing systematic exploration of current and childhood symptoms.

• Reference to pervasiveness of symptoms across at least two important settings.

• Impact of ADHD symptoms on psychological, social, educational/occupational aspects of the person’s life (The use of a questionnaire such as the WEISS functional impairment scale can be useful).

• Consideration of co-morbidities and their impact on ADHD symptomatology and overall impairment.

• Reference to limitations with the assessment due to inaccessible information, restrictive environments etc.

The assessment must be written into a comprehensive report and in addition to the above, should include:

• Information about the professional(s) who undertook the assessment, their role title, professional registration, and that the person/people undertaking the assessment are consistent with adopting NICE guidance on the composition of assessment teams. A diagnosis of ADHD can be made by a single clinician with appropriate training and experience in ADHD assessment (e.g., Psychiatrist, Psychologist or another appropriate qualified professional).

• In those circumstances where (ADHD) medication has been initiated following an assessment, it is important that the rationale for the treatment be stated by the professional who initiated the treatment. Reference to the guidelines and clinical practice to be included.

With the above standards in place, assessments can be accepted at face value between ADHD services, including from the independent sector.

The assessment may be conducted over a number of appointments, tailored to the need of the service user. In accordance with NICE guidance, a diagnosis of ADHD should only be made by a specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician or other appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD, on the basis of:

• A full clinical and psychosocial assessment of the person; this should include discussion about behaviour and symptoms in the different domains and settings of the person’s everyday life and

• A full developmental psychiatric history and observer reports and assessment of the person’s mental state.