Information for patients
This information is for GPs who are referring their patients to us for an assessment. If you're a patient seeking an assessment through Right to Choose, you'll first need to speak to your GP and discuss your options.
Right to Choose patient referrals for GPs
As a GP in England, you can refer your patients to us for specialist treatment such as an autism or ADHD assessment, or ADHD medication under the NHS Choice framework.
On this page
Our Right to Choose services | Why choose Clinical Partners? | What information is needed for the referral? | Our Right to Choose process for assessments | How our online assessments work | ADHD medication with Clinical Partners | Assessment wait times | How we manage data | FAQs
Make a Right to Choose referral
Our Right to Choose services
Your NHS patients, aged five and above, in England can be referred to our service for:
- Adult autism assessments
- Adult ADHD assessments
- Child and young people autism assessments
- Child and young people ADHD assessments
- ADHD medication
Under NHS Right to Choose Legislation, the referral form must be completed by an NHS registered GP.
Our Right to Choose assessments are conducted via secure video calls, combining accessibility and high clinical standards while allowing patients to remain in their familiar home environment.
Why choose Clinical Partners?
As a leading provider of ADHD and autism assessments, choosing to seek support with us means:
- We have over 200 autism and ADHD specialist clinicians and a dedicated patient support team to guide your patient through their journey
- A CQC and NHS registered provider you can refer to directly under the NHS Patient Choice Framework
- NICE compliant diagnostic assessments and treatment
- Secure, online appointments for accessibility
- In-depth and detailed diagnosis and reports complete with personalised recommendations
- Accessible medication services and GP shared care options
What information is needed for the referral?
To complete the form, please have the following ready:
- Your details, including a surgery email (ending in @nhs.net, @nhs.uk, or @staff.nhs.uk) to receive referral confirmation and for sharing your patient's clinical report
- Your GP Practice Code, and ICB details
- The patient's details, including their NHS number, and their contact details
- The parent's contact details, if the patient is a child
- The patient's completed self-report questionnaire
Find out about referring for medication only.
1.
Patients complete the most relevant self-report questionnaire.
2.
If your patient requires an assessment, you can submit the referral using our online referral form.
3.
Once you have submitted your patient's referral, you will receive an email with a link to confirm that the details are correct.
4.
We will contact the patient to arrange an appointment if their referral is accepted or will notify you if further information is required.
5.
Your patient will undergo the relevant NICE compliant assessment with an experienced and qualified clinician.
6.
Your patient will receive personalised recommendations in a feedback session. These will be documented in a detailed report, which can be shared with you if the patient consents, ensuring seamless ongoing care.
7.
If ADHD medication is clinically recommended, we can offer a medication service.
How our online assessments work
Our Right to Choose assessments are conducted online via secure video call, ensuring accessibility, comfort, and high clinical standards for patients across England.
- Remote assessments eliminate the need for travel, allowing patients to complete them from home.
- Observing the patient's home environment provides valuable insights into their or their child's preferences, challenges, and family interactions.
- Remote assessments are as robust as face-to-face, and are conducted by trained clinicians using evidence-based tools.
- Assessments must be conducted on a computer, not a mobile phone, to ensure clear visuals and sound quality which are essential for a thorough assessment.
- If a remote assessment presents challenges for the patient due to specific access needs, we will work with them to explore possible adjustments.
ADHD medication with Clinical Partners
We support GPs by providing clear, detailed information for managing patients, whether a shared care agreement is accepted or not.
Our specialist clinicians are responsible for initiating and stabilising medication, conducting baseline investigations, and providing counselling on medication use. Shared care agreements remain voluntary, with GPs supported at every stage.
Our medication process
- If your patient’s ADHD assessment was completed by Clinical Partners and medication was clinically recommended, they will be automatically invited to join our medication waitlist should they wish to proceed.
- For patients assessed by another provider, please confirm that their diagnostic report meets NHS standards using the guidance here. Once verified, send the report to [email protected] with a request to add your patient to the medication waitlist.
How we support GPs
- Detailed medication reports covering dosage, administration, and any specific recommendations.
- Clear guidance for reviews and necessary tests, such as blood work, to ensure safe and effective treatment.
- Collaborative approach with structured protocols to support ongoing management and address any challenges.
- Access to our specialist medication team for support, ensuring seamless patient care.
Assessment wait times
We’re committed to offering efficient, effective, and personalised care and have the capacity to offer over 2,000 ADHD and Autism assessments each month.
These wait times apply to referrals received after 20 February 2025.
Children and young people
- Autism assessments: 5½ months
- ADHD assessments: 3 months
- ADHD medication services: 12–18 months
Adults
- Autism assessments: 5½ months
- ADHD assessments: 4 months
- ADHD medication services: 12–18 months
Last updated: 20 February 2025
How we manage patient data
To protect patient data, we recommend submitting referrals via our secure online form. This method ensures your patient's information is transmitted safely and integrated directly into our systems without delay.
Patient data is used exclusively for clinical purposes, accessed only by authorised professionals, and managed in full compliance with NHS security and data protection standards.
FAQs
Our process
You can find details of our wait times here.
Yes. However, we encourage everyone to use our online form to submit referrals. The form is secure and has been carefully designed to ensure your referral information is recorded accurately and can be processed efficiently.
While we can accept referrals by email, using our online system will help ensure your patient's referral is processed accurately and efficiently, which could help reduce their assessment waiting time.
When you submit your patient's Right to Choose referral, we’ll send a verification email to confirm the details.
Clicking the link in this email helps us move forward with your patient's referral as quickly as possible.
- If you haven't recieved the verification email, please check for an email from Clinical Partners in your junk folder.
- We will reach out to you if the patient's correct email address wasn't provided.
Your patient will have a feedback appointment where their clinician will discuss the assessment outcome and the clinical decisions. With your patient's consent, you will also recieve a copy of the clinical report.
Yes. If your patient receives an ADHD diagnosis and medication is clinically recommended for them, we do offer medication services.
A to F
- NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB
- NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB
- NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB
- NHS Black Country ICB
- NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB
- NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB
- NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB
- NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB
- NHS Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly ICB
- NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB
- NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB
- NHS Devon ICB
- NHS Dorset ICB
- NHS Frimley ICB
G to K
- NHS Gloucestershire ICB
- NHS Greater Manchester ICB
- NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB
- NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB
- NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB
- NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB
- NHS Kent and Medway ICB (Medway and Swale)
- NHS Kent and Medway ICB (Dartford, Gravesham, and Swanley)
L to Q
- NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB
- NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB
- NHS Lincolnshire ICB
- NHS Mid and South Essex ICB
- NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB
- NHS North Central London ICB
- North East and North Cumbria ICB
- NHS North East London ICB
- NHS North West London ICB
- NHS Northamptonshire ICB
- NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
R to Z
Yes, in line with NICE guidelines on ADHD diagnosis and management, patients receiving ADHD medication require ongoing specialist oversight even when shared care is in place.
Adults will continue to have an annual specialist review to monitor treatment effectiveness, tolerability, and any necessary adjustments.
Children and young people will have bi-annual specialist reviews, in line with best practice guidance, to ensure treatment remains appropriate as they develop.
Any changes to medication, including dose titration or treatment discontinuation, will be managed by a Clinical Partners specialist and clearly communicated to you as the primary prescriber.
If you are unable or do not wish to enter a shared care agreement, Clinical Partners will continue to oversee your patient’s ADHD medication and provide ongoing prescribing under specialist care.
- Ongoing specialist oversight: Your patient will remain under the care of a Clinical Partners specialist clinician, who will conduct regular medication reviews—annually for adults and bi-annually for children—in line with NICE guidelines.
- Monthly prescribing and monitoring: A Clinical Partners clinician will undertake the patient’s ongoing medication prescribing and monitoring. However, before each monthly prescription renewal, the patient will need to submit their height, weight, pulse, and blood pressure to ensure safe medication management.
- Alternative options: If shared care is not feasible, you may wish to discuss alternative arrangements with your patient. This could include referring them to local NHS ADHD services (where available) or advising them on seeking a GP who may be able to accept shared care.
If you have any concerns or would like further guidance on shared care arrangements, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
As detailed in and derived from the documentation referenced under section 1 Aims and objectives, the locally agreed assessment standards are referenced on REMEDY and the Provider will comply as follows:
- A comprehensive clinical and psychiatric history, to include mental state and risk assessment.
- A detailed developmental history.
- An up-to-date physical health history (primary care summary can be informative).
- Verbal and/or written collateral history, including school/educational reports, references etc.
- A diagnostic framework (currently ICD-11, DSM-5) should be referred to.
- Evidence of a diagnostic interview, either by using an established diagnostic instrument such as the DIVA, ACE + etc. or detailing systematic exploration of current and childhood symptoms.
- Reference to pervasiveness of symptoms across at least two important settings.
- Impact of ADHD symptoms on psychological, social, educational/occupational aspects of the person’s life (The use of a questionnaire such as the WEISS functional impairment scale can be useful).
- Consideration of co-morbidities and their impact on ADHD symptomatology and overall impairment.
- Reference to limitations with the assessment due to inaccessible information, restrictive environments etc.
The assessment must be written into a comprehensive report and in addition to the above, should include:
- Information about the professional(s) who undertook the assessment, their role title, professional registration, and that the person/people undertaking the assessment are consistent with adopting NICE guidance on the composition of assessment teams. A diagnosis of ADHD can be made by a single clinician with appropriate training and experience in ADHD assessment (e.g., Psychiatrist, Psychologist or another appropriate qualified professional).
- In those circumstances where (ADHD) medication has been initiated following an assessment, it is important that the rationale for the treatment be stated by the professional who initiated the treatment. Reference to the guidelines and clinical practice to be included.
With the above standards in place, assessments can be accepted at face value between ADHD services, including from the independent sector.
The assessment may be conducted over a number of appointments, tailored to the need of the service user. In accordance with NICE guidance, a diagnosis of ADHD should only be made by a specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician or other appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD, on the basis of:
- A full clinical and psychosocial assessment of the person; this should include discussion about behaviour and symptoms in the different domains and settings of the person’s everyday life and
- A full developmental psychiatric history and observer reports and assessment of the person’s mental state.
About Right to Choose
Yes, we hold NHS standard contracts across England to provide NHS Right to Choose autism and ADHD assessments for adults, children (aged five and above), and young people.
Yes, if your patient is considering an NHS Right to Choose referral, you can discuss this with them to explore whether it is appropriate for their needs.
If they decide to proceed, or if they want to change between Right to Choose providers, you can refer them directly to their chosen provider.
For both cases you will need to submit the referral to the new provider and ensure the previous provider is informed so they can be removed from their waiting list.
As a GP in England, you can refer your patients to us for specialist treatment such as an autism or ADHD assessment, or ADHD medication under the NHS Choice framework.
Some patients may not be eligible to choose their provider. The NHS has guidance on who this applies to.
For more detailed information about your patient's rights and choices within the NHS, please visit the NHS website: Your Choices in the NHS.
If you have further questions or need additional information about your patient's Right to Choose, you can email the Your Choice Team at [email protected].
Your local ICB can also provide further information and assistance.