Right to Choose ADHD in Reading

GPs near Reading are not the enemy. They are overwhelmed professionals handling 30+ patients per day with 10-minute appointments. When someone comes in saying 'I think I have ADHD,' the GP has to weigh this against limited clinical evidence, competing priorities, and the knowledge that the referral will land on a service already drowning in demand.

This context explains why evidence matters so much. A GP who receives a well-structured clinical letter with objective brain data, z-scores, and peer-reviewed citations can process the referral efficiently and confidently. They are not being asked to diagnose — they are being asked to refer, and the evidence makes the referral defensible.

Our GP evidence guide includes everything you need to prepare for that appointment: what to say, what to bring, how to handle pushback, and when to invoke Right to Choose explicitly. The combination of our clinical letter and this preparation makes GP refusal extremely unlikely.

Right to Choose is enshrined in the NHS Constitution under Section 3a. It gives every patient in England the legal right to choose which qualified provider carries out their first outpatient appointment — including ADHD assessment. In practice, this means your GP near Reading can refer you to an approved private provider, and the NHS pays the full cost.

For ADHD, the most commonly used provider is Psychiatry-UK, which has a formal partnership with NHS England. Other approved providers include Clinical Partners and selected regional clinics. The assessment follows identical NICE NG87 guidelines — clinical interview, developmental history, behavioural rating scales, and diagnostic formulation. The only difference is speed: 3–6 months instead of 2–5 years.

Right to Choose is not a loophole, a workaround, or a grey area. It is established NHS policy. Your GP cannot refuse your right to choose a provider — they can only decline to refer for ADHD if they genuinely believe a referral is not clinically warranted. That is why evidence matters: objective brain data makes the clinical case impossible to dismiss.

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.

Objective brain data does three things that self-report cannot. First, it removes the bias inherent in questionnaires — particularly important for women who mask, adults who have developed sophisticated coping strategies, and children who behave differently in clinic than in the classroom. Second, it provides a quantified measurement expressed as a z-score — a language every clinician understands instantly. Third, it gives the GP a defensible clinical basis for the referral — something they can point to in the patient record that justifies the decision.

Multiple clients from Reading have reported that presenting the clinical letter to their GP resulted in an immediate shift in the conversation. GPs who had previously said 'let's wait and see' or 'try these coping strategies first' moved directly to submitting the Right to Choose referral once they saw the objective neurological data.

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 Reading 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