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.
Read this before you act on anything on righttochoosepathway.co.uk/. Written by Pete, editor, not a clinician.
Who we are — and are not
Right to Choose Pathway is an independent information site. It is not the NHS, not affiliated with NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, NICE, any integrated care board, or any NHS trust, and not a clinic.
We do not diagnose. We do not treat. We do not make referrals. We do not provide medical, legal or advocacy representation.
“Right to Choose” / “RTC” on this site is patient-facing shorthand. Official documents usually say a legal right to choice of provider and team, or choice of where to go for a first outpatient appointment.
England only
The NHS Choice Framework, the NHS Constitution for England, the Standing Rules on choice of provider, and NHS England’s patient-choice guidance apply to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run separate systems. Nothing on this site creates a Right to Choose right outside England.
Not medical or legal advice
Pages explain publicly available law and clinical guidance. They are not a substitute for:
- a conversation with your GP, dentist or optometrist
- advice from a qualified clinician
- advice from a solicitor
NICE guidelines (including NG87 for ADHD, CG128 for autism in under 19s, and CG142 for autism in adults) describe how assessment and care should be approached. They do not create the legal right to choose a provider. They are not mandatory in the sense of overriding individual clinical decisions.
The rights documents
If you need the legal position, read the primary documents — not a clinic blog, and not this site alone:
- The NHS Constitution for England restates rights that already exist in legislation, plus non-legal pledges. It does not create Right to Choose by itself.
- The NHS Choice Framework is the patient-facing explanation of nationally set choices, including first-outpatient choice (section 3) and listed exceptions.
- NHS Standing Rules Part 8 (SI 2012/2996 as revised, including the 2023 amendment SI 2023/1105) is the statute on choice of provider. Do not cite SI 2023/635 — that number is not the 2023 choice amendment.
- NHS England Patient choice guidance (B1441, 19 December 2023) explains qualifying contracts, any-ICB contracts, subsequent treatment, no prior commissioner approval, and who is out of scope.
Sources on this site were last retrieved on 1 September 2026. We keep that retrieved date until the next source audit. Official pages can change.
Provider pages are claims, not verified contracts
When we describe a clinic, we are repeating what that organisation publishes on its own Right to Choose page, unless we say otherwise. We have not audited NHS Standard Contracts. Holding a CQC registration is not, by itself, proof of Right to Choose eligibility.
Waits are snapshots only
We do not invent wait times. If a wait figure appears anywhere, it must carry a date, a URL, and the words snapshot only. Waits, booking pauses and ICB activity caps change. A snapshot is not a promise that you will be seen in that time.
ICB restrictions do not repeal the right
Some integrated care boards have issued guidance, caps, indicative activity plans or prior-approval processes that affect how referrals are booked. That is operational friction. It is not the same as Parliament repealing the legal right. We will not tell you “your ICB has banned Right to Choose” as a statement of law. Check your ICB and the chosen provider on the day.
No guarantees
We do not guarantee:
- that a GP, dentist or optometrist will refer you
- that a named provider will accept you
- a diagnosis of ADHD or autism
- shared care with your GP after medication
- a short wait
- that a remote assessment is clinically appropriate for you
A referrer may refuse if they do not believe the referral, provider or team is clinically appropriate. They are not required to refer against clinical judgement.
If choice is not offered
The Choice Framework path is: speak to the GP, dentist or optometrist first; then complain to the local integrated care board; NHS England can advise; then the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
- NHS England choice advice: england.choice@nhs.net
- Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: ombudsman.org.uk
See also If your GP refuses. This site cannot lodge a complaint for you and does not promise a particular outcome.
Fees
NHS-funded Right to Choose care is free at the point of use except for limited Parliamentary exceptions (for example standard prescription charges). If a partner clinic pays this site a fee because you asked them to contact you, that is described on how we make money and on the form. It is not an NHS fee.
Check on the day
Before a GP appointment, check:
- the provider’s own current Right to Choose page
- your GP practice
- your integrated care board
Use eligibility, the GP script, and the providers index as navigation only.
Sources
Primary sources. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- NHS Choice Framework, Department of Health and Social Care. England; section 3 first-outpatient choice; exceptions; complaints path (referrer → ICB → NHS England → PHSO). Published 29 April 2016; landing last updated 23 October 2024. HTML
- The NHS Constitution for England, Department of Health and Social Care. Informed choice; free of charge except limited exceptions; complaints rights including the PHSO. Published 8 March 2012; landing last updated 17 August 2023. HTML
- NHS Standing Rules Part 8, SI 2012/2996 as revised. Choice of provider; clinically appropriate = referrer’s opinion (reg 39(6)); exceptions in regs 40–41. Revised Part 8
- SI 2023/1105, in force 1 January 2024. 2023 choice amendment (not SI 2023/635). As made
- Patient choice guidance, NHS England, B1441, 19 December 2023. Qualifying contracts; out-of-scope list; remote ASD/ADHD assessments may be in scope; no prior commissioner approval; commissioners must rectify if choice was not offered. Contact: england.choice@nhs.net. Long-read
- NICE NG87 (ADHD), last recommendation update 13 September 2019; overview last reviewed 23 July 2026. Clinical guidance; silent on Right to Choose. NG87
- NICE CG128 (autism, under 19s). Overview last reviewed 14 June 2021. Clinical guidance; silent on Right to Choose. CG128
- NICE CG142 (autism in adults). Overview last reviewed 23 July 2026. Clinical guidance; silent on Right to Choose. Its local-pathway self-referral note is not the legal Right to Choose right. CG142
- Your choices in the NHS, NHS.uk. Last reviewed 10 May 2023; still live. NHS.uk
Last reviewed: 1 September 2026
Author: Pete, editor, not a clinician