The Right to Choose Psychiatry uk
As a patient you have the legal right to choose the place you're referred to for your treatment. This applies to consult-led elective care, as well as to services commissioned by CCGs or NHS England.
Psychiatry UK provides ADHD, Autism, and combined assessments as part of the NHS Right to Choice process. This allows individuals with long NHS wait lists to choose their preferred of provider and reduce their waiting time for an assessment.
What is the right of a decision?
The right to choose psychiatry UK is a fundamental legal right that permits people to make their own decisions regarding their health care. This is the case for a variety of services that include assessments and treatment. If a person is diagnosed with a condition like ADHD and has been advised to select an alternative NHS provider from the one that is in their community. This can be helpful for a variety of reasons, such as travel restrictions or to consult a specialist in their specific condition.
The right to choose is currently in effect at the moment of referral by the primary care physician to a first outpatient appointment for a physical health condition or mental illness. It only applies to providers who are clinically competent and have a contract for commissioning with the CCG or NHS England (host commissioner) for that service.
If a person is referred by their local NHS Trust to receive an ADHD diagnosis, they will likely be referred to a local mental health service. The waiting time for a first appointment can be as long as 2 years. If the patient has the option to be referred to a service that offers an online ADHD diagnosis such as Psychiatry UK which offers a faster pathway to diagnosis.
psychiatry online uk is an exciting change that could improve access to mental healthcare in the UK particularly since it can often be an extended wait for an initial assessment and later for treatment. There are many challenges in improving access to psychiatry services and the delivery of services in the UK. There is a shortage of consultants and an effort to increase recruitment.
If a doctor wants to refer the child to Psychiatry UK for an online ADHD test under the legal right of choice the GP must compose a brief explanation of the reasoning behind their decision. 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 include a brief summary of the patient's medical history, and the completed AQ50 (click here for template). The Psychiatry-UK team will then contact the patient's GP for further information.
Who is eligible to vote?
In England you are eligible to apply for Right to Choose if you were referred by your GP to a consultant-led mental health team to be assessed or treated. This includes a neurodevelopmental diagnostic test for ADHD or Autism. It does not include other NHS services - such as counselling, psychotherapy or psychiatric medications. You are not able to be part of the Armed Forces or in a secure environment (such as a prison, specialized training centre or youth offenders' institution or immigration removal centre).
To exercise your right to select, you must have been referred by your doctor to an NHS provider that has been commissioned to provide the service. The service must be clinically relevant to your needs. Psychiatry UK offers ADHD assessments for adults and children who are younger than 19 through Right to Choose. The appointments are in person. They do however, provide a private ADHD assessment for adults and children if you would prefer an online appointment. They also offer the option of titration for medications following an assessment, however this is not available through RTC.
It is essential to inform your GP that you wish to exercise your right of choice. You can download a referral letter from most Right to Choose providers and give it to your GP. This letter explains the information needed to submit a referral. Click here to download a copy of the template from Psychiatry UK.
How do I exercise my right of choice?
If your GP refers to you for specific mental health care you have a legal right to choose the healthcare provider. Your choice is not going to cost the NHS any more than when you were referred by an NHS hospital. You can exercise your patient choice rights for any service or provider that has an NHS Standard Contract with any CCG or NHS England for the required service (this includes numerous private hospitals). You cannot make use of your right to to avail cancer treatment services that have a maximum two-week waiting time for maternity services, mental health services provided by the armed services.
In a survey of future psychiatrists, conducted one, three, and five years after medical school, 4% of respondents opted for psychiatry as their first career choice. When compared with doctors who chose other clinical professions as their first choice this figure was similar to the figures of 3-4 percent who chose the field of psychiatry as a specialization in the USA. The figures were higher for females than males, which reflects a historical trend of more women deciding to become psychiatrists than men.
The decision of psychiatrists to pursue the field of psychiatry is influenced by a range 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 those with ADHD their doctor can use the NHS's Right To Choose to refer them for an independent assessment through Psychiatry-UK. This will result in an assessment and a titration of medication being provided by a specialist ADHD clinician. GPs can find further details regarding this, including a download letter to distribute to their patients, here.
You can only use your Right to Choose for other conditions, such as OCD if your GP recommends an assessment by a specialist in mental health and you've been discharged from the service. Your doctor can request a referral from the specialist mental health care service to Psychiatry-UK, and we can then provide an independent assessment and titration of any medications prescribed.
What if I do not want to exercise my choice?
You are not required to decide if you choose not to. If you choose to exercise your right to choose, you should understand the consequences. If you choose not to exercise your right to choose, it will have an impact on the speed at which you receive an appointment and what service you get. It will also impact how much choice you have in the future should you need to be referred to again.
If you do not exercise your right to choose, it's important to inform your GP straight away. The doctor should then recommend you to the best service that suits your requirements. You may need to wait a bit longer for an appointment, but it's worth the wait when you think it's the right thing to do.
You can ask your GP if Psychiatry UK offers an online ADHD assessment. The website offers information on how to do this, as well as the form you can download to give to your GP. This service is available to adults and children. However they do not offer prescription titrations through the NHS after an assessment. They currently offer an assessment for patients in Kent and Medway as in addition to Isle of Wight and North East Hampshire.
Psychiatry UK is a not-for-profit organization that offers free, confidential, e-consultations with licensed psychiatrists. Consultations are conducted on the internet and can be booked via a secure online booking system. These appointments are recorded in the medical database and are used by a team specially trained to monitor the health of patients. The clinicians are also overseen by senior members of the mental health profession, who ensure that the service is delivered to the highest standard.
The authors would like thank the nine participants for their time and efforts. They were selected at various stages of their medical school and came from a variety of backgrounds. From their second year at BSMS until just finishing their fifth year of medical school. They were interviewed by email or video conference and were asked to talk about their experiences in choosing to pursue a career in psychiatry.