Your Right to Choose
With ADHD 360
18 weeks the NHS say is the appropriate ‘maximum’ that you should wait to be treated, 18 weeks. We know that for adults with ADHD it’s normally over 18 months, and that isn’t good enough.
You may be aware that you have the ‘right to choose’ a service provider, especially if the service where you live isn’t meeting the standards expected, and over 18 weeks to get treatment is one of the common missed standards.
So what is the Right to Choose?
There is a lot of misunderstanding about Right to Choose, let’s clear some of that up… Commissioners of health services (CCGs) and GP services must be aware of the following:
Referrals for ADHD diagnostic assessment referral must be processed in line with patient choice principles
There is no requirement to demonstrate ‘exceptionality’ and Individual Funding Request criteria must not be used to decide diagnostic service provision
Patient choice principles apply regardless of whether a CCG commissions a service or cancels a commissioning contract with a service provider
Individual CCGs are not required to have a contract with a service provider if there is a contract with another CCG or NHS England
Secondary care services can refer to the patient’s choice of service provider if the individuals GP supports the referral
People not offered choice for their initial referral, (and who notifies the relevant responsible body that choice was not offered), may subsequently make those choices
Individuals have the right to be referred to an alternative service provider if the waiting time exceeds or is likely to exceed 18 weeks
What do you, the patient, have to know?
You need to meet the criteria for an assessment for ADHD, that’s fair, as an assessment is expensive. We recommend you complete our screening questionnaire and submit the result with your application. You can find the screening tool on our iPhone app ADHD360 or we can send you a copy by email.
This should also be your first appointment for an assessment.
And finally, you can only ‘choose’ a service that is currently employed on NHS contracts, such as ADHD 360.
How to get diagnosis & treatment via Right to choose:
- A letter to your GP, this includes the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) questionnaire, please fill this in as meaningfully as possible and give this to your GP. You can download a template here
Referral form, give this to your GP they will fill this in and send it over to us. You can download the template here
- Right to Choose Letter to CCGs to be provided to your GP. You can download the template here
Right to Choose – Now booking for Summer 2023
Right to Choose Update
