What is Right to Choose?
In England, under the NHS, you now have a legal right to choose your healthcare provider. This service, offered through the NHS, is free of charge.
Introduction to Right to Choose Referrals
Did you know that NHS patients have the legal right to select their healthcare provider? This important right allows you to explore alternative providers if the waiting time for an assessment is too long. Right to Choose, introduced in 2018, is still a relatively new system, and many patients may not be aware of these options.
Who Can Offer Right to Choose Assessments?
To be eligible to provide this service, clinics must also offer the same service to the NHS in England. Private-only clinics are not eligible. Checking a provider’s website is a good way to determine if they offer the services you need.
Which Providers Offer Right to Choose Assessments?
The list of clinics offering Right to Choose assessments is constantly evolving.
Things to Consider About Right to Choose
It’s important to note that many clinics offering these assessments can diagnose but may not provide medication titration. This means you might need a local NHS referral if medication is required to manage symptoms.
When Can You Not Use Right to Choose?
There are certain restrictions on eligibility for Right to Choose referrals. You are not eligible if:
- You require urgent or emergency treatment.
- You are already receiving care for the condition you are seeking an assessment for.
- The provider you choose cannot provide appropriate care for your condition.
- You are a prisoner or in specific secure settings, such as a secure hospital or under the Mental Health Act.
- You are a serving member of the armed forces.
How to Request a Right to Choose Referral from Your GP
Submit an eConsult detailing your symptoms and the provider you would like to use. Please give as much detail as possible.
Consult Online from Home - Stubbington Medical Practice
***Update on your Right to Choose provision – October 2025***
Please see the message below from the Hampshire and IOW Integrated Care Board regarding Right to Choose Referrals
In 2025, we have increased the capacity of our Right to Choose provision by 167% compared to last year. However, many providers have already reached the limit of what they can deliver under this plan. As a result, some patients will not be seen for a new assessment this financial year (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026).
Visit the ICB website for more information
ADHD/ASD Right to Choose:
Patients have the 'Right to Choose' other NHS ADHD service providers. Some of these services may only be commissioned to offer diagnosis and not provide medication initiation and stabilisation. Please see the page on shared care agreements.
Other private providers are available who do not hold any NHS contracts and may or may not offer medication initiation or stabilising. Private providers are not subject to NHS scrutiny in terms of Clinical Governance and are covered by NHS indemnity schemes.
As a practice, we do not enter private shared care. Please see the page on Shared Care Agreement
Patients should be made aware that we will only support ongoing prescribing for HIOW contracted services, or for Right to Choose services where the initiating and stabilisation steps have been completed and a shared care agreement entered that mirrors the HIOW shared care guideline. The HIOW shared care places the responsibility of monitoring the patient on the specialist, not the primary care. Right-to-Choose providers must agree to this requirement.
In all cases, if the patient fails to attend for review with their specialist/discharged from their care, or does not attend for monitoring, their medication may be stopped.
We recommend that our patients confirm the answers to the following questions with the provider before making their choice about an NHS Right to Choose referral:
- Does the provider initiate and titrate medication?
- Does the provider arrange necessary tests or referrals to initiate, titrate and monitor medication (e.g. blood tests, ECGs, height/weight, blood pressure, hospital specialist referrals, mood and behaviour monitoring)?
- Does the provider offer an annual medication review?
- Does the provider confirm that a shared care agreement with general practice mirrors that published by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight? See here: Shared Care :: NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Important Resources