About Right to Choose Pathway

Independent information site. Not the NHS, not a clinic, not a diagnostic service, and not a referral service. England only. A GP, dentist or optometrist must decide whether a first outpatient referral is clinically appropriate. Provider lists, waits and ICB caps change — check the provider and your ICB before the appointment.

righttochoosepathway.co.uk/ is an independent patient-choice navigation site. It helps people in England understand whether the legal right to choose a provider and team at a first outpatient appointment may apply to an ADHD or autism assessment, prepare the GP conversation, and compare types of provider — not to replace the NHS, a clinic, or a GP.

Written by Pete, editor, not a clinician.

What we are

What we are not

  • Not the NHS, and not affiliated with NHS England, DHSC, NICE, ICBs or NHS trusts
  • Not a clinic and not a healthcare provider
  • Not a diagnostic service — we will not tell you that you have ADHD or autism
  • Not a referral service — we will not refer you; only a GP, dentist or optometrist can make the elective referral
  • Not a law firm or complaints service
  • Not official and not an “NHS pathway” owned by this domain

The title uses “Right to Choose pathway” because that is the job of the site: navigation. We are not the pathway itself.

The editor

Pete writes and edits these pages. He is not a clinician. Clinical decisions stay with the referrer and the assessing service. Legal decisions stay with the documents named on each page.

If a clinician later reviews a page, we will say so on that page. Until then, treat this as editor-researched information with named primary sources.

England only

The Choice Framework, Constitution, Standing Rules and NHS England patient-choice guidance apply to England. If you are in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, this legal right does not apply. The eligibility check will say so.

How to use the site

  1. Home — the four-step pathway
  2. What is Right to Choose?
  3. Eligibility and the quiz
  4. How to ask your GP
  5. Providers — claims, not a ranking
  6. Get help if you want a pack or to ask a clinic to contact you

Provider lists, waits and ICB caps change. Check the provider and your ICB before the appointment.

Contact

For privacy requests, use the details on privacy. For pathway questions, use get help. We cannot book an assessment or speak to your GP for you.

Sources

This about page does not create legal rights. The rights documents are:

  1. NHS Choice Framework, DHSC. England; first-outpatient choice. Retrieved 1 September 2026. HTML
  2. The NHS Constitution for England, DHSC. Informed-choice right; does not create new legal rights. Retrieved 1 September 2026. HTML
  3. Patient choice guidance, NHS England, B1441, 19 December 2023. Long-read
  4. Standing Rules Part 8, SI 2012/2996 as revised. Revised Part 8

Last reviewed: 1 September 2026
Author: Pete, editor, not a clinician