[Your Practice Letterhead]
[Date]
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
You have asked your GP to refer you for an ADHD or ASD assessment and / or treatment service provider under your Right to Choose (RTC). Your GP will write the referral and provide it to you or send it directly to your nominated provider at your request. If you have any queries about the appointment, please contact the provider directly.
RTC providers are usually private provider companies that hold an NHS contract with one or more NHS commissioners in Eng. When choosing a RTC provider it is important to consider the following points:
Choice
Your GP cannot choose for you. You need to research the options and make the choice yourself, then contact your GP to inform them of your chosen provider and they will advise you on how to proceed. One point of reference for RTC providers is ADHD UK.
Referral
The number of RTC providers is large, and each provider may have its own referral process. It is not practical for your GP to complete a different referral process for every patient who chooses a different provider. Most providers need a core set of information, so your GP may ask you to complete a questionnaire and an ADHD self-assessment score as part of a standardised referral. If the provider needs additional information, they can request it from the practice or by asking you directly.
Diagnosis and follow-up
Most RTC providers exclusively perform remote and/or online assessments, and the local NHS ADHD services may or may not have sufficient confidence in these diagnostic processes to accept their diagnoses. They may not take over your care unless they have completed their own assessment and diagnostic process. Therefore, your diagnosis may not be universally accepted, and you may find you cannot seek treatment and follow-up directly with local services following an RTC diagnosis. Even if your diagnosis is accepted, and you or your chosen Provider wants to transfer your care to the local NHS service (e.g. where they do not prescribe), there is still a waiting list for them to take over your care.
Prescriptions
If you are diagnosed with ADHD the RTC provider may suggest medications for you. The medications used for ADHD are restricted so that GPs cannot routinely prescribe them. The specialist service is responsible for prescribing them. They can request that your GP prescribes them under an agreement called a ‘shared care agreement’ but it is unlikely that your GP will be able to enter into this agreement for reasons of patient safety and resources. It is not safe for GPs to try to keep up with so many providers, each with their own contact details and processes when prescribing such safety critical medications. In Surrey Heartlands, there is no resourcing or contract to enable GPs to share care with RTC Providers, and so this is not possible locally.
Due to the nature of RTC providers, if the business stops trading for any reason, or if they have their NHS contract removed, then their care and any prescriptions would more than likely cease, which is another reason your GP may not feel it is safe or good practice to enter into an agreement to prescribe for them.
When you are choosing your RTC provider you may find it useful to use this information to support your decision making, and also to share with your chosen provider so that they are aware that their duty in prescribing, in particular, is unlikely to be taken over by your GP.
Yours sincerely,
[Your GP Practice Name]
Template Letter: Advice to patient before referring via RTC (15kB)