ADHD Right to Choose Letter to GP: Template

Copy-and-Paste Right to Choose Letter Template

You do not need a long or confrontational letter. The purpose is to ask for a clinical referral discussion, name the service you prefer and make the request easy to process.

Replace every item in square brackets and remove anything that does not apply.

Subject: Request to discuss ADHD assessment and NHS patient choice

Dear [GP name or practice team],

I am asking for an appointment or clinical review to discuss referral for an ADHD assessment.

I have experienced [two or three concise, accurate examples]. These difficulties affect [work, education, relationships, home life or another relevant area] by [brief functional impact]. I remember related difficulties from approximately [childhood period, if accurate].

If you agree that referral is clinically appropriate, I would like to exercise my patient choice and be referred to:

Provider: [provider name]

Service: [exact adult or child NHS ADHD service]

Referral details: [provider's current NHS Right to Choose URL]

I have checked that the provider currently accepts NHS Right to Choose referrals for this service and age group. I have attached [provider referral form, screening form or other required document].

Please let me know if you need further clinical information or a different form. I would also be grateful if you could confirm whether the referral is agreed and, if sent, the date and destination.

If you do not consider referral or this provider clinically appropriate, please explain the reason and the next step available to me.

Kind regards,

[full name]

[date of birth]

[safe contact details]

Only add an NHS number if the practice asks for it and you are using its secure channel. Do not put sensitive health or identity information into an unsecured email.

For the rules behind the request, read the full ADHD Right to Choose guide. If the blank page or admin is the main obstacle, the Right to Choose letter support session gives you two hours of practical help to organise and complete your own request. It is not medical or legal advice.

Before You Send the Letter

The strongest practical step is checking the chosen service, not adding more legal language.

Confirm:

• The provider currently accepts NHS Right to Choose referrals.
• It holds a qualifying NHS contract for the ADHD service you need.
• It covers your age group and can meet any important clinical needs.
• You understand whether it offers assessment only or also treatment.
• You know what happens with titration, prescribing and follow-up if medication is clinically indicated.
• You have downloaded the provider's current referral form.
• You have checked whether it requires a screening questionnaire or other information.
• You are following the NHS-funded route, not booking its separate private service.

Provider lists, forms and capacity change. Link to the provider's current NHS referral page rather than copying an old third-party list.

How Much Symptom Detail Should You Include?

Use two or three concrete examples. The GP needs enough information to consider whether assessment is appropriate, but your request is not the diagnostic assessment itself.

For example:

I regularly miss important work steps despite written reminders, lose track during conversations and need help managing household deadlines. Similar organisation and attention difficulties were noted during school and now affect my work and relationships.

Only use an example if it is true. Do not add dramatic consequences from a template.

Useful areas to consider include:

• attention and task completion
• organisation and time management
• impulsivity
• restlessness
• impact in more than one setting
• relevant difficulties during childhood

Also mention significant physical or mental health information the GP needs to make a safe referral decision. A screening score can be attached if requested, but it is not a diagnosis and does not automatically make referral appropriate.

NICE says ADHD diagnosis should be based on a full clinical and psychosocial assessment, developmental and psychiatric history, observer reports and mental-state assessment. It should not be made solely from a rating scale.

Do You Need to Quote a Law?

Usually not. The clearest wording is:

If referral is clinically appropriate, I would like to exercise my patient choice under the NHS Choice Framework.

The official NHS Choice Framework and NHS England patient choice guidance are more useful than an isolated section number. NHS legislation has been amended over time, and several inaccurate Right to Choose templates cite the wrong provision.

The important distinction is:

• the clinician decides whether referral and the selected service are clinically appropriate
• where an eligible referral is agreed, legal patient-choice rights should be respected

Your letter should not say that a GP can never refuse or that any private provider must be accepted.

What to Attach

Follow the provider's current instructions. The possible attachments are:

• its referral form for the GP to complete
• its patient questionnaire
• a requested ADHD screening form
• a short summary of relevant history
• accessibility or communication needs

Do not send an entire medical record unless the practice or provider asks for it. Do not pay for evidence merely because an online template recommends it.

Use descriptive filenames such as:

• Provider-ADHD-referral-form.pdf
• Patient-questionnaire.pdf
• ADHD-referral-summary.pdf

Check that scans are readable on a phone and computer. Keep a copy of the final letter and attachments.

A Short Version for an Online GP Form

If the practice portal has a tight character limit:

I would like a clinical review to discuss referral for ADHD assessment. My main difficulties are [brief examples], affecting [areas of life], with related difficulties since [childhood period, if accurate]. If referral is clinically appropriate, I would like to use NHS patient choice for [provider and exact service]. Current NHS referral instructions: [URL]. Please tell me how to submit the required forms and confirm the outcome.

Do not include highly sensitive details if you do not know how the portal stores or routes messages.

Follow-Up Message If You Hear Nothing

Check the practice's stated response time first. Then send:

Subject: Follow-up on ADHD assessment referral request sent [date]

Dear practice team,

I am checking that my request and attachments sent on [date] were received and added for clinical review. Please confirm the current status and whether any information is missing.

If the referral has been sent, please confirm the date, provider and service. If it has not been agreed, please explain the reason and next step.

Kind regards,

[name and date of birth]

Keep the tone factual. Repeated messages sent too close together can make the history harder to follow.

If the GP Says No

First clarify whether:

• all ADHD assessment referral was declined
• only your selected provider was declined
• information or a form is missing
• a local administrative pathway has delayed the request

Those situations have different remedies. Ask for the clinical or eligibility reason before escalating. The guide to what to do when a GP declines Right to Choose explains the proportionate routes, including practice review, integrated care boards, patient-choice concerns and formal complaints.

Avoid threatening a complaint in the first request. A clear explanation may reveal a fixable form or provider issue.

Common Letter Mistakes

Saying the GP Must Refer

The GP retains responsibility for clinical appropriateness. Ask for a reason and review route if they decline.

Naming a Provider Without the Exact Service

An organisation may have multiple private and NHS services. Include the exact NHS ADHD service and its current referral page.

Promising Your Own Diagnosis

Describe concerns and impact. The assessment determines whether ADHD or another explanation fits.

Assuming Assessment Includes Medication

Compare the full pathway before referral. Diagnosis does not guarantee medication, and shared care is not automatic.

Using an Old Template Unchanged

Update provider forms, links and policy wording at the time you send it. Remove details that are not yours.

Sending Too Much Personal Information

Use the practice's secure channel and include only what is needed for the referral decision.

Final Checklist

• Replace every bracketed instruction.
• Use accurate personal examples.
• Name the exact provider and NHS service.
• Confirm current eligibility and referral instructions.
• Attach the requested forms.
• Ask for confirmation and the next step.
• Remove absolute claims and outdated legal references.
• Check spelling of your name, date of birth and contact details.
• Save a copy and note the submission date.

If completing these steps alone still feels unmanageable, the paid Right to Choose letter support session is designed for task initiation, structure and document organisation. You remain the author, and the service does not choose a provider or advise on legal entitlement.

Sources and Review Status

This article was substantively updated on 29 July 2026. It has been checked against official NHS and NICE guidance but has not been reviewed by a clinician or healthcare lawyer.

• GOV.UK: NHS Choice Framework
• NHS England: Patient choice guidance
• NICE guideline NG87: ADHD diagnosis and management