A Look At The Myths And Facts Behind Right To Choose Psychiatry UK

The Right to Choose Psychiatry uk

As a patient you have the legal right to select where you will be referred for treatment. This applies to consultant-led elective care, as well as to services commissioned by CCGs or NHS England.

Psychiatry UK offers ADHD, Autism, and combined assessments as part of the NHS Right to Choice process. This allows individuals who are on long NHS wait lists to exercise their choice of a provider and cut down on their waiting time for an assessment.

What is the right of a choice?

The right to choose psychiatry in the UK is an important legal right that allows people to make their own choices regarding their health care. This is applicable to a variety of services including treatment and assessments. If a person has been diagnosed with a condition like ADHD or ADD, they may select an alternative NHS provider than the one in their locality. This can be useful for many reasons, including travel restrictions or when a patient wishes to see a specialist in their condition.

The legal right of choice is currently available at the time of referral by an individual's primary care provider to an initial outpatient appointment for a physical health issue or mental illness. It only applies to providers who are clinically competent, and have an agreement with NHS England or the CCG (host commissioner) that covers the service.

For example, if a person is directed to their local NHS Trust for an ADHD diagnosis they are likely to be referred to a local mental health clinic where waiting times can be over 2 years for an initial appointment. If the patient has the option, they can choose to be referred to a facility which offers an online ADHD diagnosis such as Psychiatry UK which offers the fastest path to diagnosis.

This is an exciting change and can increase access to mental health services in the UK, especially as it is usually an extended wait for an initial assessment, and then for treatment. However, there are many obstacles to improving access and delivery of psychiatry in the UK. These include a shortage of consultants, and a push to increase recruitment to the profession.

If a GP wants to refer a child to Psychiatry UK for an online ADHD test, under the lawful right of choice, they will have to compose a brief explanation of their reasoning. The letter should be addressed directly to Psychiatry UK and include the name of the GP at the end of the page (not ANP). The letter should also contain a brief summary of the patient's medical history, and an completed AQ50 (click here for the template). Psychiatry UK will contact the patient's GP to obtain further details.

Who is eligible to have the right to vote?





In England you are eligible to apply for Right to Choose if you have been referred by a GP to a consultant-led mental health team to be assessed or treated. psychiatrists in uk includes a neurodevelopmental diagnostic test for ADHD or Autism. It does not include other NHS services, such as counselling, psychotherapy or psychiatric medication. You also cannot be in the Armed Forces, be detained under the Mental Health Act or be in a secure location (including prisons, courts, certain secure training centres and youth offenders' institutions, or immigration removal centres).

You should have been referred to a provider of NHS services by your physician in order to exercise this right. The service you receive must be clinically appropriate for your needs. Psychiatry UK offers ADHD assessments for adults and children under the age of 19 via Right to Choose. These appointments are delivered in person. They do however, provide a private ADHD assessment for adults and children If you prefer an appointment online. They also offer the titration of medications after an assessment, however this is not available through RTC.

It is very important that you let your GP know that you'd like to exercise your right to select. The majority of Right to Choose providers have an invitation letter template that you can download and take to your GP that explains the information they need from you in order to make the referral. Click here to download a copy of the template from Psychiatry UK.

How can I exercise my right of choice?

In the majority of cases if an GP recommends you to a specialist for mental health care, you have the legal right to choose the doctor to receive your treatment. You won't be penalized by the NHS when you decide to go to a private hospital than if a GP has referred you to one. You are able to make use of your right to choose a patient for any provider and service that has an NHS Standard Contract with any CCG or NHS England for the required service (this includes numerous private hospitals). You cannot use your choice to gain faster access to cancer treatment services that are subject to a 2 week maximum waiting period, maternity services or mental health services offered by the armed forces.

In a study of prospective psychiatrists, conducted in the first, three, and five years after medical school 4 percent of respondents chose psychiatry for their first choice in a career. When compared to doctors who cited other clinical professions as their first choice, this figure was similar to the figures of 3-4 percent of those who chose psychotherapy as a specialization in the USA. The figures were higher among women than males. This is consistent with a long-standing trend of women choosing to become psychiatrists.

The decision of psychiatrists to pursue the field of psychiatry is influenced by a variety of factors. Of these, 'enthusiasm/commitment: what I really want to do' was the factor rated as having most influence by over half of respondents in year one. 'Student experience of the subject','self-appraisal of own skills' and 'inclinations before medical school' were also cited as having a significant effect on choice.

For people who have ADHD their doctor may utilize the NHS's Right To Choose to refer them for an independent assessment with Psychiatry-UK. A specialist ADHD doctor will provide an assessment and a medication titration. GPs can find further details regarding this, including a downloadable letter to give to their patients.

For other conditions, such as OCD You are able to exercise your Right to Choose when your doctor has recommended an assessment by a specialist mental health practitioner and you have been discharged from the service. Your GP may request an appointment from the specialist mental health service to Psychiatry-UK, and we can provide an independent assessment and titration of any medication prescribed.

What happens if I don't want to exercise my choice?

You do not have to exercise your choice if you choose not to. If you choose to exercise your right to choose, it is important to understand the consequences. If you choose not to take advantage of this right it could affect the speed at which you are able to schedule an appointment as well as the service you receive. It will also impact the options you will have in the future in the event that you have to be referred back.

It is crucial to inform your GP immediately in the event that you do not take advantage of this right. The doctor should then recommend you to a service that best meets your requirements. It might take longer to schedule an appointment but if it's the best thing to do, it is worth it.

You can ask your GP if Psychiatry UK offers an online ADHD assessment. The website offers information about how to conduct this, including a downloadable letter to give to your GP. This service is available to both children and adults. However they do not provide titrations of medication via the NHS after an assessment. They currently provide an assessment in Kent and Medway, Isle of Wight, and North East Hampshire.

Psychiatry UK is a non-profit organisation that provides free, confidential e-consultations by qualified psychiatrists. Consultations are conducted via the internet and are booked via an online booking system that is secure. These appointments are stored in the medical database and are used by a team specially trained by a team of clinicians to monitor the health of the patient. These clinicians are also supervised by senior members of the mental health profession who ensure that the service is provided to the highest standards.

The authors would like to thank the nine participants who participated in the one-to-one semi-structured interviews for their time and energy. They were selected from different backgrounds and at different stages of their training beginning in second year at BSMS to having just completed their fifth year of medical school. They were interviewed via videoconference or email and asked to talk about their experiences while making the decision to become psychiatrist.