Your Right to Choose Psychiatry-UK for adult ASD NHS assessments 

If you are registered with a GP surgery in England and you are referred by a GP to a consultant or specialist in mental health, you have the legal right to choose the organisation (qualified provider) to whom you are referred, as long as that organisation is providing that service in another part of England.

As we have an NHS contract to provide adult ASD diagnosis services with an Integrated Care Board (ICB) in England, we fulfil the criteria to be a qualified provider under the NHS Right to Choose. As long as your GP feels a referral is appropriate and will make a referral to us, we are able to get your ASD assessment paid for by the NHS.

How can I exercise my Right to Choose as a patient?

1. Download and complete this AQ50 form.
2. Download and amend this letter to include your details (including your email address) and address it to your GP.
3. Take both of the above to your GP and if they feel an ASD assessment is appropriate, ask to be ‘referred to Psychiatry-UK LLP under Right to Choose‘.

Right To Choose – Your Questions Answered:

We receive a high number of enquiries about Right To Choose (RTC) so please read our FAQ’s below before getting in touch. 

What is Right To Choose?
RTC stands for Right to Choose. It gives you the right to choose an appropriate healthcare provider if your GP agrees you need to be referred to a specialist.

What is an appropriate healthcare provider?
Any provider that is commissioned in England to provide the service that you are requesting. Psychiatry-UK holds a contract with an NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) for adult ASD services, so can be chosen for the same service by any eligible patient registered with a GP in England.

How can I be referred?
First, you need to discuss your condition and symptoms with your GP. If they agree that you may have ASD and that you need to be assessed, you have the legal right to choose an appropriate provider such as Psychiatry-UK. The referral can be sent to us directly from your GP.

How do I know if you have received my referral?
We will contact you by email or telephone.  Failing that, we will write to you.  If you are expecting to hear from us and haven’t, please contact your GP surgery to find out the date they sent the referral.

Can I self-refer?
No, under the NHS rules the referral must come from your GP. You can self-refer if you are paying privately.

Does it cover the assessment and treatment?
It only covers the assessment. 

Can I have therapy as well as medication?
Psychiatry-UK will only perform the assessment and recommend appropriate treatment and therapy. 

As regards medication, there’s no specific medication for ASD, but there’s medication for associated conditions (depression, anxiety, ADHD) which you will need to discuss with your GP as per our recommendations.

What if my GP will not refer me?
Assuming that your GP is refusing to refer you due to funding concerns and not a clinical reason, you can ask them to read the NHS information governing patient choice. Common causes of confusion are the fact that we are not commissioned in your ICB, which is not relevant, or that the GP is only aware of applying through an IFR (Individual Funding Request) and asking the ICB for permission first, which again, is not necessary.

Does it cover Scotland/Wales/N.Ireland?
Unfortunately, not.  You must be registered with a GP in England to be eligible.

What if I am not diagnosed?
The consultant will advise you of their findings and a letter with recommendations will be sent to your GP to advise on your further care. You will not have to pay anything; the cost of this assessment will still be covered.

Does it cover other things (addiction, depression, etc)?
Unfortunately, no.  The patient choice rules cover all aspects of healthcare, but you can only choose an eligible provider that has an NHS contract for the service you require.  At present, we are commissioned for ASD assessments and treatment only.

Can I get help for my child under RTC?
At present we can only see adults under the terms of our contracts. We do of course have child and adolescent specialists available on a private basis.

Do I have to wait for the ICB to agree?
No

I have had an assessment and have not been diagnosed with ASD. I want a second opinion.  Can I use RTC?
If you were assessed for ASD by an NHS consultant psychiatrist, then you can only have a second opinion if paying privately.  However, if your initial diagnosis was a private one you can access an assessment from Psychiatry-UK under your RTC if your GP is prepared to refer you.

I am currently under the care of my CMHT, can I swap to PUK?
No. The right to choose rules cannot be used to swap provider mid-treatment.  If you are unhappy with your existing care, you will need to reach a resolution with your current provider.

Can I pay for the initial assessment and then get refunded if I am referred later?
No.  We can only invoice the ICB from the date of the referral. You can get a referral from your GP to cover the cost of treatment following a diagnosis made privately, however.

Why Choose Psychiatry-UK?

●     We are online, so our services are convenient and discreet.

●     Our waiting times are generally much shorter than NHS waiting times.

●     We are registered with the CQC – read our latest report here.

●     We are a GMC regulated designated body for doctors.

●     We are the largest (and most economic) provider of neurodevelopmental assessment services in the UK, seeing over 1000 patients every month.

●     We have over 100 consultants, so you can choose which doctor you see.

●     We are a qualified NHS provider.