NHS Right to Choose
NHS Right to Choose allows you to choose where your child is referred to for an Autism or ADHD assessment, rather than being limited to your local NHS service.
Right to Choose is a national NHS policy in England to give patients the right to be referred to an NHS-approved provider for certain services, including neurodevelopmental assessments. This means you can choose where your child has their Autism or ADHD assessment and by which service provider. At Mind Professionals Neurodevelopmental Service, we currently accept Right to Choose referrals for Autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people, up to the age of 18 years. In most cases, we can offer NHS Right to Choose appointments within 4 to 6 weeks for children and young people. See the waiting times section below for the latest updates.
About NHS Right to Choose at Mind Professionals Neurodevelopmental Service
As long as you are registered with a GP in England you have the legal right to choose the service you want to receive your NHS Autism or ADHD assessment.
If your child needs an Autism or ADHD assessment, and their GP is registered in England, we can assess them.
You will need to book an appointment with your GP and ask them to make a referral to Mind Professionals Neurodevelopmental Service under your ‘right to choose’. Your GP will need to complete our referral form.
Please note that we cannot accept referrals that do not come from an NHS primary care email address.
If your GP feels they need more information before making the referral, they can contact us directly by calling 01223 813 838 or emailing autism@mindprofessionals.com
About NHS Right to Choose at Mind Professionals Neurodevelopmental Service
NHS Right to Choose assessment type | Location |
|---|---|
Autism assessment for children and young people, up to the age of 18 years | In person at our clinic in Chelmsford Essex |
ADHD assessment for children and young people, up to the age of 18 years | In person at our clinic in Chelmsford, Essex |
NHS Right to Choose waiting times
We aim to offer appointments as quickly as possible. Waiting times may vary depending on demand and clinical complexity.
Our current NHS Right to Choose waiting times are detailed below.
Last updated May 2026.
Assessment type | Estimated waiting time for assessment |
|---|---|
Children and young people Autism assessment | 4 to 6 weeks Dependent on receiving all required documentation |
Children and young people ADHD assessment | 18 weeks Dependent on receiving all required documentation |
NHS Right to Choose assessment process
The GP referral and booking your assessment
Step 1 – Make an appointment with your GP.
Step 2 – Ask them to complete the Mind Professionals Neurodevelopmental Service NHS Right to Choose referral form.
Step 3 – We will contact you once we have received your referral.
Step 4 – You will be asked to complete and return some additional questionnaires.
Step 5 – We will contact you to let you know if your referral has been accepted, and book you in for an assessment date.
What the assessment involves
Assessments typically include:
- a detailed clinical interview
- developmental and personal history
- standardised diagnostic questionnaires
- behavioural and cognitive screening tools
- informant reports (e.g. from a partner, parent, or caregiver)
For Autism assessments, this will also include autism-specific tools such as structured observations.
We will guide you through each step of the process and keep you updated throughout.
After the assessment you will receive:
- a comprehensive written diagnostic report
- diagnostic conclusions and rationale
- practical recommendations and next steps
We can also provide a summary of your report, which are suitable for educational institutions.
Referral information for GPs
Our Right To Choose referral form allows GPs in England to refer patients to our services at Mind Professionals Neurodevelopmental Service.
For a referral to be accepted, the patient must be eligible to receive a Right to Choose assessment and the below statements must be met:
- the referral is made by a general practitioner at a GP practice in England
- the referral is a clinically appropriate outpatient referral
- this is the patient's first referral for an outpatient appointment for this condition
By proceeding with the referral, you confirm that the referral meets all criteria.