ADHD Right to Choose – UK Providers and Waiting Times

The NHS Right to Choose scheme gives patients in England the legal right to request a referral to any eligible clinical service for ADHD assessment and treatment. This guide examines how the scheme works, which providers offer faster access through Right to Choose, and what families need to know about waiting times and eligibility across the UK.

Since the NHS introduced Right to Choose in 2014, thousands of adults and young people have used the programme to bypass lengthy local waiting lists. The scheme covers ADHD assessments and, where clinically appropriate, medication initiated under NHS funding. However, access to faster care depends on several factors including your Integrated Care Board area, provider availability, and current demand.

This article draws on the latest provider data, NHS guidance, and patient-facing resources to give a clear picture of what Right to Choose means for ADHD care in England today.

What are ADHD Right to Choose Providers in the UK?

Several NHS-funded providers now accept Right to Choose referrals for adult ADHD assessments across England. Each operates under the same legal framework but varies in capacity, geographical coverage, and current waiting times. Below is a structured overview to help patients and carers understand their options.

Major ADHD Right to Choose Providers

The following providers accept NHS Right to Choose referrals for ADHD. Each is commissioned to assess and treat adults, with a small number also offering services for children and young people in specific areas.

• Harrow Health NHS CIC – Accepts referrals across England for adult ADHD. Assessments conducted face-to-face or virtually by consultant psychiatrists or specialist clinicians. Fully NHS-funded with no private services offered.
• Dr J and Colleagues – Provides adult ADHD assessments via Right to Choose. Some Integrated Care Board areas experience significant delays due to funding caps.
• Clinical Partners – Offers adult ADHD assessments across multiple ICB areas. Resumed accepting referrals for all areas from 1 April 2026 following a period of targeted restrictions.
• ADHD360 – Delivers adult and youth ADHD assessments in selected ICB regions. Minimum youth waiting times of 18 weeks apply in some areas.
• NHS Hospital Trusts – Various NHS trusts accept Right to Choose referrals, though waiting times vary considerably by region.

Key Insights on ADHD Right to Choose Providers

• Providers like Harrow Health and ADHD360 operate as Community Interest Companies wholly funded by the NHS, meaning no private payment options are available.
• All Right to Choose providers must meet NICE guideline standards for ADHD assessment and treatment, ensuring consistent clinical quality.
• GPs initiate referrals via the Electronic Referral System, and patients complete pre-assessment questionnaires before their first appointment.
• Once diagnosed, medication titration is managed by provider-based ADHD nurses or pharmacists until a stable dose is achieved.
• Shared care arrangements mean ongoing prescriptions can transfer to the patient’s GP after titration, though providers like Harrow Health offer support even if the GP declines shared care.
• Most providers offer both face-to-face and virtual appointments, improving access for patients in rural or underserved areas.
• Prescriptions are sent electronically directly to a pharmacy of the patient’s choice.

ADHD Right to Choose Snapshot

What are the Waiting Times for ADHD Right to Choose?

Waiting times for ADHD assessment via Right to Choose vary significantly depending on the provider, the patient’s ICB area, and current demand levels. While Right to Choose was designed to shorten waits compared to local NHS services, many areas now experience substantial delays due to Integrated Care Board funding caps.

According to Right to Choose wait times data updated in late 2025, adult ADHD assessment waits through Right to Choose providers range from approximately 18 weeks to over a year depending on location.

Adult ADHD Right to Choose Waiting Times by Provider

ICB Funding Caps and Their Impact

Many Integrated Care Boards have imposed activity caps on Right to Choose funding, meaning providers can only assess a limited number of patients per year within each ICB area. This has created bottlenecks even at providers with strong capacity.

North Central London ICB, which covers the Harrow area, is one example where funding caps have led to waits extending to around 12 months at some providers, despite the scheme being designed to offer faster access.

How Right to Choose Compares to Standard NHS Waits

For context, standard NHS adult ADHD waiting times in some areas of England extend to 3–10 years or longer, with some services having closed their lists entirely. Updated figures for 2025 show that Dorset NHS offers waits of approximately 12 weeks for ADHD assessment, while other areas remain severely stretched.

Right to Choose therefore remains the fastest formal route to assessment in many regions, provided the patient’s ICB has not imposed restrictive funding caps.

Does Right to Choose Apply to ADHD for Children?

Right to Choose applies to children and young people in England, but the availability of NHS-funded ADHD providers who accept under-18s through the scheme is limited. Most major Right to Choose providers, including Harrow Health and Dr J and Colleagues, do not offer child ADHD services and focus exclusively on adults.

ADHD360 provides some youth ADHD services with a minimum waiting time of 18 weeks in selected ICB areas. NHS hospital trusts may also offer child ADHD services via Right to Choose, though provision varies significantly by region.

Child ADHD Waiting Times via the NHS

Where Right to Choose is not available or not applicable, children must access ADHD assessment through standard NHS community paediatric or CAMHS pathways. Waiting times for child ADHD across the NHS show stark regional variation. According to the NHS ADHD assessments waiting lists report, approximately 7,200 children were waiting for ADHD assessment nationally based on partial data, with waits ranging from 5 weeks in some areas to over 5 years in others.

What is NHS Right to Choose for ADHD?

The NHS Right to Choose framework was introduced through the NHS Constitution published in 2013, coming into effect in 2014. It gives patients in England the legal right to be referred to any qualified NHS, charity, or independent provider that meets NHS standards and accepts referrals through the standard NHS route.

For ADHD specifically, Right to Choose means that a patient who has been waiting for an assessment with their local NHS trust can ask their GP to refer them instead to an approved provider elsewhere in England, at no additional cost. The referral must be honoured if the provider meets eligibility criteria.

How the Right to Choose Process Works for ADHD

The process typically follows these steps. First, the patient discusses ADHD concerns with their GP. Second, the GP agrees that a referral is clinically appropriate. Third, the patient requests a Right to Choose referral to a specific provider of their choice. Fourth, the GP submits the referral via the NHS Electronic Referral System. Finally, the provider contacts the patient directly to arrange pre-assessment paperwork and an appointment.

After assessment, if ADHD is diagnosed, the provider initiates treatment. Medication is prescribed under the NHS and attracts standard prescription charges unless the patient qualifies for exemption.

Who Can Use Right to Choose for ADHD?

• Adults in England with a GP who agrees a referral is appropriate
• Children and young people where child-accessible providers are available in their ICB area
• Patients whose local NHS ADHD waiting lists are longer than 18 weeks
• Individuals without access to equivalent private healthcare

What Right to Choose Covers for ADHD

Right to Choose covers the full ADHD care pathway where clinically indicated. This includes the initial specialist assessment, diagnosis (where appropriate), medication initiation and titration, and annual reviews. Ongoing prescriptions after titration are typically managed under a shared care agreement between the provider and the patient’s GP.

Non-medication interventions such as therapeutic coaching or neurodiversity-affirming support are not formally covered under the Right to Choose framework, which focuses on NICE-compliant diagnostic and pharmacological pathways. NICE Guideline NG87 sets out the clinical standards that Right to Choose providers must follow.

A Timeline of ADHD Right to Choose in England

Understanding how the Right to Choose scheme developed helps contextualise its current role in ADHD care. The following timeline captures key milestones relevant to ADHD patients seeking assessments via this route.

1. 2014 – The NHS Constitution for England formally introduced the Right to Choose, giving patients the legal right to select any qualified provider for first consultant-led outpatient appointments.
2. 2021–2022 – ADHD diagnosis rates rose sharply following increased awareness, particularly during the pandemic period. NHS waiting lists for ADHD assessment began to grow substantially.
3. 2023 – Several NHS-funded providers including Harrow Health and ADHD360 expanded their Right to Choose ADHD services as demand outpaced local NHS capacity. The scheme gained prominence as a faster alternative.
4. 2024 – Integrated Care Boards began imposing funding caps on Right to Choose ADHD activity following budget pressures. Wait times at some providers lengthened despite the scheme’s promise of shorter queues.
5. December 2025 – Harrow Health confirmed continued operation for Right to Choose ADHD referrals but noted that waits were being influenced by ICB funding restrictions rather than their own capacity.
6. April 2026 – Clinical Partners resumed accepting Right to Choose referrals for all previously paused ICB areas.

What is Clear and What Remains Uncertain?

Patients and carers navigating the ADHD Right to Choose landscape encounter both well-established facts and areas where information is less clear. Being honest about this distinction helps manage expectations.

What is Established

• Right to Choose is a legal right for NHS patients in England, confirmed in the NHS Constitution and supported by the South West London ICB guidance.
• A GP must initiate the referral, and the patient can request a specific provider.
• Eligible providers must meet NICE clinical standards.
• All NHS-funded costs apply, including assessment and, where appropriate, medication.
• Right to Choose applies to both physical and mental health conditions, including ADHD.

What Remains Uncertain

• Exact current waiting times at any given provider, as ICB caps and demand fluctuate frequently.
• Whether holistic or non-medication ADHD support will ever be incorporated into the Right to Choose framework.
• The future stability of funding caps across different ICB areas, which could either shorten or lengthen waits without notice.
• Availability of child ADHD services via Right to Choose, as most providers do not accept under-18s.
• How devolved nations (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) may adopt similar choice frameworks.

Understanding the Broader Context

The Right to Choose scheme exists against a backdrop of sustained pressure on NHS mental health services. NHS data consistently shows that ADHD assessment waiting lists grew substantially throughout the early-to-mid 2020s, driven by increased recognition of ADHD in adults, greater public awareness, and improved diagnostic pathways.

The introduction of Right to Choose providers offered a structural solution, allowing patients to bypass overloaded local services. However, the scheme’s effectiveness is directly tied to NHS commissioning budgets. When ICBs restrict funding, as has happened in North Central London and other areas, even the most capable providers cannot clear backlogs.

Provider quality under Right to Choose is maintained through NICE compliance requirements. All contracted providers must follow NICE Guideline NG87, which sets standards for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD. This means patients can expect consistent clinical standards regardless of which provider they choose.

For patients in devolved nations, the Right to Choose framework does not currently apply in the same way. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own NHS structures and patient choice arrangements, which differ from England’s approach.

What Sources Say About ADHD Right to Choose

“Patients in England have a legal right to choose where they receive NHS care. This right applies to ADHD assessments and treatment, provided the provider meets NHS standards.”

— ADHD UK, Right to Choose guidance

“Right to Choose can lead to shorter waiting times than standard NHS referral routes, but actual waits depend on provider capacity and local ICB commissioning arrangements.”

— NHS-adjacent guidance on mental health choice frameworks

These perspectives reflect the dual nature of Right to Choose: a legally robust framework that genuinely expands patient choice, but one whose practical impact varies significantly depending on local commissioning decisions and overall system capacity.

What Happens Next

For patients considering Right to Choose for ADHD, the immediate next steps involve speaking with a GP and confirming whether a referral is clinically appropriate. Once the GP agrees, the patient can request referral to any eligible provider, with Harrow Health, Clinical Partners, and ADHD360 among the most commonly referenced options.

Before requesting a specific provider, it is worth checking current waiting times directly, as these can change month to month. Patients should also confirm that the provider covers their ICB area, as funding restrictions may apply.

For ongoing updates and provider-specific data, the Right to Choose wait times page on ADHD UK offers regular provider-reported information.