Right to Choose Referrals for Autism / ADHD
This webpage provides information for patients who would like to request a referral for an ADHD and/or autism assessment through the NHS Right to Choose (RTC) pathway.
What is Right to Choose?
Under the NHS Right to Choose (RTC), you have the legal right to choose which provider carries out your assessment for ADHD or autism. This means you do not have to join the local NHS waiting list and can instead choose an alternative provider, which may have shorter waiting times.
It is important to note that you must choose your own provider, and we cannot recommend one for you. We can only send your referral once you have selected a provider and provided us with the necessary information.
Right to Choose referrals are not urgent and are not suitable for crisis or immediate mental health concerns. If you are experiencing urgent mental health difficulties, please seek support by completing our online triage form, contacting the practice reception team, or calling NHS 111.
Important considerations with Right to Choose assessments
Many Right to Choose (RTC) providers carry out ADHD and autism assessments remotely or online. While they must meet required standards and regulations, their assessment processes may differ from traditional NHS specialist services. In some cases, local NHS services may not automatically accept a diagnosis made through an RTC provider. This means onward NHS care may not always be available following an RTC assessment.
If you are diagnosed with ADHD, the RTC provider may recommend medication. ADHD medications are specialist medicines and are not routinely prescribed by GPs. They are usually initiated and monitored by specialist services.
Once you are on a stable dose of medication, a provider may request that your GP takes over prescribing under a shared care agreement. Like many other GP practices, Steel City Practice is unlikely to agree to shared care with a RTC provider. Shared care arrangements depend on clinical suitability, patient safety, and the ability of the GP practice to safely manage ongoing monitoring across multiple providers and systems. Due to the number of different RTC providers and their varying processes, it is not always possible for GP practices to safely enter into shared care agreements for these medicines. It is also important to be aware that if a provider stops trading or loses its NHS contract, ongoing care and prescribing arrangements may be disrupted. For these reasons, shared care is unlikely.
Steel City Practice does enter into shared care agreements with Sheffield Adult Autism and Neurodevelopmental Service (SAANS), our local NHS ADHD specialist service.
If you would like ongoing prescriptions to be managed by your GP, your Right to Choose provider can request that your care is transferred to SAANS. At this stage, your diagnosis and clinical information will be reviewed by the specialist team to decide whether they are able to take over your care.
This review is usually carried out based on written information and does not normally require a clinic appointment, so waiting times are often shorter than for a new NHS referral. However, acceptance of care transfer is at the discretion of the specialist service.
If your care is accepted by SAANS, the practice should then be able to support ongoing prescribing under a shared care agreement.
How to request a referral:
If you would like to go ahead and request an ADHD and/or Autism referral.
- Please choose a provider. Please ensure that your chosen provider assesses for ADHD, Autism or both, dependent on your request, and can see RTC patients referred from Sheffield. An up to date list for both ADHD and autism assessments can be found here: Right to Choose – Your NHS options
2. Please download and complete our referral document:
- For children: CHILD referral form
- For adults: ADULT Referral Form
3. Please download and complete the relevant screening questionnaires
- ADULT ADHD Screening Questionnaire
- ADULT Autism screening Questionnaire
- CHILD ADHD screening Questionnaire
- CHILD Autism screening Questionnaire
4. Please send the completed referral form, questionnaire(s) and any supplementary information to our email address: [email protected]
5. A GP will review the information and send the referral. A GP appointment is not usually necessary. We aim to process your referral within 4 weeks.
