Right to Choose ADHD in Exeter

The numbers tell a devastating story. Over 177,000 children are on neurodevelopmental waiting lists in England. Around 62% of adults waiting for ADHD assessment have been waiting over 12 months. The average wait across Devon ranges from 2 to 7 years depending on the trust and the age of the patient.

During this wait, the consequences compound. A child who is 7 when referred will be 10 before assessment — three years of academic struggle, social difficulty, and growing self-doubt. A teenager referred at 14 may not be assessed until after their GCSEs. An adult referred at 35 may reach 40 before seeing a specialist. These are not statistics. These are lives put on hold by a system that cannot cope.

Right to Choose does not fix the NHS. But it gives individuals near Exeter a legal mechanism to access assessment within months. The evidence you bring to your GP determines how quickly that mechanism activates. Our brain screening provides the strongest possible evidence: measured brain activity compared against published norms, expressed as z-scores that any clinician can interpret immediately.

Right to Choose is available across England but not in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland — those nations have separate NHS systems. If you live near Exeter and are registered with an English GP practice, you are eligible regardless of your nationality, immigration status, or how long you have been registered.

The referral must come from your GP — you cannot self-refer via Right to Choose. However, the GP does not need to be 'convinced' you have ADHD. They need to be satisfied that a referral for assessment is clinically appropriate — a much lower threshold. Our clinical letter provides the evidence that meets this threshold comfortably.

If your GP near Exeter refuses, you have several options: request documentation of the refusal in writing, ask for a second opinion from another GP at the same practice, register with a different practice, contact PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service), or ask the chosen provider to contact the GP directly — Psychiatry-UK has a process for this.

Step 1 — Get screened. Book our comprehensive assessment (£845) which includes the clinical letter your GP needs. Same-week appointments available. You will have your report and clinical letter the same day.

Step 2 — Prepare for your GP. Read our GP appointment guide. Book a double appointment (20 minutes). Bring: the clinical letter, a completed ASRS questionnaire (adults) or Conners scale (children), written examples of functional impairment, and any old school reports showing childhood difficulties.

Step 3 — Request the referral. Tell your GP: 'I would like to exercise my Right to Choose and be referred to Psychiatry-UK for ADHD assessment.' Present your evidence pack. Key points if they hesitate: Right to Choose is a legal right under Section 3a of the NHS Constitution; Psychiatry-UK has a formal NHS England partnership; the referral process uses standard e-RS; there is no cost to the GP practice.

Step 4 — GP submits the referral. The GP submits through the NHS e-Referral Service or the provider's online form. Your screening report and clinical letter should be attached.

Step 5 — Assessment (3–6 months). The provider contacts you to schedule. Typically a 60–90 minute video assessment. They review all evidence including our brain data, conduct a clinical interview, and make a diagnostic decision. If ADHD is confirmed, medication is initiated and shared care is arranged with your GP.

Your screening report serves multiple purposes simultaneously. While you wait for the Right to Choose assessment (3–6 months), the same report can support: EHCP applications for your child's school, JCQ exam access arrangements (extra time, rest breaks), employer reasonable adjustment requests under the Equality Act 2010, Access to Work evidence gathering, and the Right to Choose referral itself. One screening, one report, multiple applications running in parallel.

If you are later diagnosed and prescribed medication, the baseline brain data becomes invaluable. A follow-up medication scan (£345) compares your on-medication brain activity against the baseline — providing objective evidence that treatment is having the intended neurological effect. This data supports medication dosage reviews and shared care monitoring.

A third option is fully private assessment (£700–£1,500), which has the shortest wait (2–8 weeks) but you pay the full cost. Many people from Exeter combine approaches: brain screening (£595–£845) + Right to Choose assessment (free) + Access to Work support (free). Total out-of-pocket: the screening only. View all pricing options.

We provide Right to Choose evidence for children aged 6+, teenagers, adults, and women & girls who are systematically underdiagnosed by questionnaire-based assessment.

Each person is compared against age-matched normative data from published research. The clinical letter is tailored for Right to Choose referral submissions, with z-scores, peer-reviewed citations, and specific recommendations your GP can act on immediately.

View packages: standard screening (£595) · comprehensive (£845) · family package (£1,095) · all pricing

After your screening: ADHD support hub · results explained · what to do next · GP appointment guide · medication guide · coping strategies · workplace rights · ADHD in women · parent's guide · relationships guide · sleep guide · exercise & ADHD