Everyone has the right to make informed choices about their healthcare, including services funded by the NHS. This means you can choose where to have your assessment and treatment from a list of approved NHS-contracted providers if you meet the eligibility criteria.
It is important to note all Right to Choose providers must have an ongoing contract with an NHS Integrated Care Board in England. The Integrated Care Board for Dorset is NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB). If you decide to go with a private provider that is not contracted by the NHS, you will need to cover the costs yourself, including any follow-up care.
It is important to be aware:
- If treatment is required, any follow up appointments and specialist advice will need to be provided by the Right to Choose provider. Your GP surgery can also help with giving support and guidance.
- Please be aware that some Right to Choose providers only diagnose and do not provide ongoing treatment, this can cause issues as your GP will not be able to start medication and NHS services will not be able to see you any more quickly even if you have had a diagnosis.
- Your GP surgery can provide ongoing prescriptions and/or medications. However, any changes to your treatment will need to be provided by your specialist.
- For your GP surgery to continue providing medication under a shared care arrangement, you will need to remain under specialist care. This means either with your Right to Choose provider or a local provider which has accepted your care.
- You may also wish to consider other factors such as waiting times, distance to travel to appointments and ease of communication.
Shared care means when GPs and specialists work together to manage a patient’s treatment. Specialists, such as hospital consultants, provide expert diagnosis and set out a treatment plan, while GPs handle ongoing monitoring, prescriptions, and day-to-day support. This ensures patients receive expert input when needed while benefiting from regular, accessible care through their GP. It is commonly used for managing long-term conditions, such as diabetes, mental health needs, or rheumatology care, allowing treatment to be both specialist-led and locally supported.
There is no national directory of providers offering neurodiversity assessments through the NHS Right to Choose. However, ADHD UK keeps a list of providers for both ADHD and autism assessments and offers updates on new providers. You can find more information on their website: Right to Choose – ADHD UK.
NHS Dorset is working on an accreditation framework to contract with local neurodiversity providers who meet high standards of safety, quality, and governance. This will ensure that patients receive safe, effective, and well-integrated care under the NHS Standard Contract.
For more information on Right to Choose visit: Patient Choice Leaflet.
If you would like to exercise your right to choose, please speak to your GP.