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Getting an ADHD or Autism Assessment Through Your GP
Right to Choose: A plain-English guide to a route a lot of people don't know they have.
🏁 Stop. Refuel. Carry on.
Last reviewed: June 2026. This pathway changes fast - local NHS rules, provider wait times and prescribing arrangements all shift month to month. We keep this page updated, but always double-check the current position with your chosen provider and your local NHS area before you start. This is general information, not medical or legal advice.
Why we put this together
Waiting years to understand your own brain is a lot to carry. The standard NHS waiting lists for ADHD and autism assessments have stretched into the thousands of days in some areas, and most people are never told there's another route that's still free, still NHS, and usually much faster.
That route is Right to Choose. It's not a secret and it's not a loophole - it's a legal right. But the system rarely hands you the map, so here's ours: plain-spoken, step by step, no jargon where we can help it. Bookmark it. Save it. Share it. Screenshot it.
PITSTOP.Social is a gateway, not a cure. We can't assess you or speed up the NHS, but we can help you find the road and feel less alone while you're on it 💚
What Right to Choose actually is
Right to Choose (RTC) is a legal right under the NHS Choice Framework. If you're registered with a GP in England, you can choose which NHS-approved provider does your first outpatient appointment - including an autism or ADHD assessment. It's still NHS-funded, so it costs you nothing, but it's delivered by independent providers, which usually means a far shorter wait than the standard local route.
A few things worth knowing before you set off:
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England only. RTC doesn't apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland (the NHS is run separately there).
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It's for non-urgent assessment. You can't use it if you need urgent or emergency care, or if you're in the armed forces or certain secure settings.
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You can use it even if you're already on an NHS waiting list for the same thing - you're legally entitled to choose your provider.
- Funding pressures are real right now. Through 2025-26, some local NHS areas (Integrated Care Boards, or ICBs) have asked providers to work within funding limits or temporarily pause new ADHD referrals. You can still be referred and added to a waitlist, but the assessment may be delayed. Autism assessments are generally less affected than ADHD. This varies by area, so check your local ICB.
A quick reality check before you start
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Pick your provider first. Wait times, suitability criteria, and whether they take adults or children differ between providers. Look at a few before deciding. The charity ADHD UK keeps an independent, monthly-updated list of providers and wait times - search your postcode at adhduk.co.uk/nhs-area to see who covers your area and any local restrictions.
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Co-occurring conditions are fine. ADHD and autism often travel together, and most providers will assess for both.
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A current mental health crisis may pause things. Some providers will advise waiting until you're more stable, so the assessment reflects you at your best. That's about accuracy, not gatekeeping. If things feel overwhelming right now, the support section at the bottom of this page is there for a reason.
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Medication is covered. If you're diagnosed with ADHD via RTC and go onto medication, the NHS meets the cost. Titration (getting the dose right) is usually done by the provider for the first few months, after which they'll write to your GP asking them to take over routine prescribing under a shared care agreement. Shared care is voluntary - a GP can decline it (for example on workload or competence grounds), and some areas have advised practices not to take on new ADHD shared care at all.
The important thing to know: because RTC is an NHS-funded pathway, if your GP refuses shared care the responsibility for prescribing stays with your RTC provider, who should continue your NHS prescriptions and reviews - you should not be pushed onto paid private prescriptions the way a fully private diagnosis would be. If a refusal leaves you without medication, you can ask the GP for their reasons in writing, escalate via the practice manager or your ICB, or report it to ADHD UK, which tracks where shared care is breaking down.
Step by step
Step 1 - Choose your provider
Look at the providers in your area (adhduk.co.uk/nhs-area) offering RTC assessments and check:
- Do they assess adults / children for the condition you want? (Many do adult ADHD and autism; children's ADHD via RTC is patchier.)
- Their current wait time and any restrictions in your area.
- Their suitability criteria (some online assessments aren't suitable for everyone).
Commonly used providers include Psychiatry-UK, ProblemShared, CARE ADHD, Psicon, The Owl Centre, ADHD 360, RTN Mental Health and Held Health (children and young people). Compare a few rather than going with the first you find - the ADHD UK postcode tool above is the easiest place to start.
Step 2 - Download the provider's forms
Almost every RTC provider gives you two things on their website:
- A self-report screening questionnaire - you fill this in yourself.
- A GP referral letter template - a pre-written letter your GP can use, which spells out RTC and the provider's NHS contract details.
Download both. Fill in the questionnaire carefully and accurately - it gives your clinician important background before the assessment.
Step 3 - Contact your GP (you don't have to go in person)
You don't need a face-to-face appointment to request Right to Choose. A referral request can be made in writing, which is often easier and a better paper trail. Depending on your surgery, you can usually:
- Email the practice (or message the practice manager / admin team) directly,
- Use your surgery's online consultation / e-consult triage form,
- Message through the NHS App or your practice's patient portal, or
- Ask at reception, or book a phone or in-person appointment if you'd rather.
Whichever route you use, say clearly that:
- You'd like a referral for an ADHD and/or autism assessment, and
- You want to be referred under the Right to Choose pathway to your chosen provider.
Attach (or take) your completed screening questionnaire and the GP referral letter template. Putting it in writing means the request, your chosen provider and the date are all on record - useful if anything stalls or needs chasing later. If your surgery insists you book an appointment before they'll action it, that's fine, but a written request is enough to start the process and they shouldn't require an in-person visit purely to accept it.
Step 4 - The GP makes the referral
If the GP agrees a referral is appropriate, they send the provider:
- The completed referral form (online form or via the NHS e-Referral Service, eRS),
- Your screening questionnaire, and
- A copy of your summary care record / medical summary.
If your GP is unfamiliar with RTC: that's common, and it's not a refusal. Every patient in England has the legal right to choose their provider for non-urgent NHS care. Hand over the provider's pre-written referral letter and contract details - it's designed precisely to make this easy. A GP can't lawfully refuse a valid RTC request where the provider holds a qualifying NHS contract; refusals are usually down to lack of awareness of the process, which the template letter resolves.
Step 5 - Provider confirms receipt
The provider will email you to confirm they've received the referral and explain what happens next. Many generate a referral form (RF) number at this point - keep it. If you don't hear back immediately, don't panic: processing can take several weeks to a few months, and your referral stays on their system. Set yourself reminders to check in with them if you need to.
Step 6 - Pre-assessment questionnaires
You'll be sent online questionnaires to complete, plus (often) a request for an informant - someone who knows you well, or a child's school - to give their perspective. These feed into the assessment.
Step 7 - The assessment
Usually done remotely (some autism assessments are in person). One or more clinicians carry out a structured clinical interview using validated diagnostic tools, combined with your questionnaires and informant information, in line with NICE guidelines.
Step 8 - Diagnosis and what follows
You'll get the outcome. If diagnosed with ADHD and you opt for medication, the provider typically manages titration (3-6 months) before asking your GP to take over prescribing under shared care. NICE guidance still requires an annual specialist review. If your GP declines shared care, prescribing responsibility stays with the provider (see the medication note above) - it shouldn't leave you self-funding.
If your GP pushes back
You don't have to just accept a no. Calmly point to these facts:
- Right to Choose is a legal right under the NHS Constitution and Choice Framework for elective (non-urgent) care.
- It applies as long as the provider has a qualifying NHS contract and the service is consultant- or professional-led.
- Provide the pre-written referral letter and the provider's contract details to remove any admin uncertainty.
If a refusal still stands, you can escalate via your ICB, the practice's complaints process, or charities like ADHD UK, which run tools to help you challenge it and track local restrictions.
Before you commit - quick checks
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Your local ICB's current RTC status - whether ADHD referrals are paused, capped or running normally. ADHD UK's postcode tool maps this.
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The provider's live wait time and suitability criteria.
- Whether your GP will offer shared care for medication afterwards - ask early, as it's discretionary.
You don't have to do this leg alone
Waiting is hard, and chasing the system while you wait is harder. A diagnosis can bring real clarity, but it isn't the only thing that helps - and it isn't the finish line.
If you're struggling while you wait, you can text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential support, any time, day or night. And if you just want people who get it, our community is open - pull in, park up, and you'll find others who've driven this same road.
We're a gateway, not a cure. But no one should have to navigate this in the dark. 🏁💚
Stop. Refuel. Carry on.
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