How Right to Choose works in South East London ICB
The NHS Right to Choose pathway is governed by NHS Patient Choice Guidance published by NHS England on 19 December 2023. It applies to all elective first outpatient referrals, which includes adult ADHD assessment. How the referral is sent here is local. Since 3 November 2025, every GP referral for a first adult ADHD assessment in this area goes to the SEL Adult ADHD Referrals Triage Service, not to a provider you name. South East London ICB states that "all GP referrals for adult patients requiring a first ADHD assessment are sent to the SEL Adult ADHD Referrals Triage Service" and that GPs "only need to refer once". ProblemShared publishes that your GP sends that referral through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) to the triage service.
South East London ICB is bound by the NHS Standard Contract, like every ICB in England. That contract is the mechanism that makes NHS Patient Choice Guidance operationally enforceable. The ICB cannot instruct GPs to block Right to Choose referrals on cost grounds. If your GP does block a referral, that refusal should be documented in writing and can be escalated first to the ICB's Patient Experience team and then to NHS England's National Contact Centre.
South East London ICB serves a population of about 1.8 million people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), making it one of the larger ICBs in England by population. The area covers Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth. GP practices in all of these areas are covered by the same Right to Choose entitlement.
It has roughly 300 GP practices. That practice count is approximate and not recently verified, so treat it as a rough scale indicator rather than a current figure.
NHS waiting time in South East London ICB
Honest note on local data: NHS England does not publish real-time per-ICB waiting times for ADHD assessment. What follows is the national picture; your ICB's wait may be shorter or longer.
What we know
NHS England does not publish a single national average wait for adult ADHD assessment; figures reported by patient groups and academic surveys range from 2 to 7 years depending on ICB. If you know your ICB's current figure, please email us and we will update this page.
To check the current stated wait for this area: NHS England: Integrated Care in Your Area and then contact South East London ICB directly via their website or PALS service.
Right to Choose puts you in a different queue, not out of the queue. In an area with no reported cap that queue is usually shorter. Here it is capped, so treat any promise of weeks rather than months with caution and get the current position from the provider.
NHS-contracted ADHD providers available in South East London ICB
The following providers are known to hold NHS contracts and accept Right to Choose referrals for adult ADHD assessment from GPs across England. They can be chosen here too, but the choice is made with the triage team, which then sends your referral on to the provider you pick. South East London ICB states that patient choice "includes South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and any independent sector provider with a qualifying contract under Right to Choose". A referral sent to an independent provider direct from a South East London GP is returned to the GP to be sent again through the SEL Adult ADHD Referrals Triage Service.
Holds an NHS contract for adult ADHD assessment under Right to Choose. Shared-care prescribing after assessment is a separate question for your GP practice. We publish no wait for this provider; check its own referrals page for the current position.
Age eligibility: ADHD 360's own website currently states two different minimum ages for Right to Choose referrals. Its Right to Choose page says it accepts referrals for children aged 8 and over and adults aged 16 and over. Its diagnosis FAQ says the minimum age on the NHS or Right to Choose pathway is 7. We cannot tell which page is current, so confirm your age eligibility with ADHD 360 directly before your GP submits the referral. Checked 7 August 2026. ADHD 360 Right to Choose page, ADHD 360 diagnosis FAQ.
Holds an NHS contract for adult ADHD assessment. We publish no wait for this provider; check its own referrals page for the current position.
Holds an NHS contract for adult ADHD assessment. We publish no wait for this provider; check its own referrals page for the current position.
Holds an NHS contract for adult ADHD assessment under Right to Choose, England-wide. We publish no wait for this provider; check its own referrals page for the current position.
Provider lists can change. Always verify NHS contract status and Right to Choose acceptance on the provider's own website before submitting the letter. Finally Seen is not affiliated with any provider.
What to do if your GP refuses
A GP can decline a Right to Choose referral on clinical grounds (i.e., they do not believe the referral threshold under NG87 is met). They cannot decline solely because:
- The provider is not locally commissioned by South East London ICB.
- The referral would cost more than local provision.
- South East London ICB does not have a block contract with the provider you have named.
- The local NHS waiting list is long (this is the reason for the referral).
If your GP refuses, ask them to put the refusal in writing and add it to your medical record. Then:
- Step 1: escalate to your ICB. Contact South East London ICB's Patient Experience team (or PALS office). Cite NHS Patient Choice Guidance (NHS England, 19 December 2023) and the NHS Standard Contract.
- Step 2: NHS England National Contact Centre. 0300 311 22 33. They can instruct the ICB and, ultimately, the GP practice.
- Step 3: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), if you have exhausted the above and the GP's refusal was not on clinical grounds.
The £39 Right to Choose letter includes a second, pre-written Stage 1 complaint to South East London ICB, drafted upfront so you have it ready if the GP refuses or does not reply.
Frequently asked questions for South East London ICB
How long does South East London ICB take to action a Right to Choose letter?
In this area the referral does not go straight to a provider. Since 3 November 2025 your GP sends one referral to the SEL Adult ADHD Referrals Triage Service, delivered by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. South East London ICB says "GPs only need to refer once to the SEL Adult ADHD Referrals Triage Service" and that the service "will ensure that once triage is complete, the referral is passed onto the relevant provider". South East London ICB also says the service "should contact the patient within 4-5 weeks to set up a time for triage". Timings after that are set by the triage service and by the provider you choose, and are not published. If your GP delays sending the referral, ask them in writing and give a 10-working-day deadline, citing NHS Patient Choice Guidance (2023).
Can I use Right to Choose if I'm registered with a GP in Bromley?
Yes. Any GP practice in South East London ICB, including practices in Bromley and Greenwich, is covered by the same NHS Patient Choice Guidance entitlement. Registration with a practice anywhere in South East London ICB is sufficient. The right does not depend on which GP practice you're with, which neighbourhood you live in, or whether your practice has used Right to Choose before.
My GP in Greenwich said South East London ICB doesn't commission ADHD assessment externally, is that right?
Your GP is describing something real. The referral route in this area genuinely changed on 3 November 2025, and South East London ICB publishes it: all GP referrals for a first adult ADHD assessment are sent to the SEL Adult ADHD Referrals Triage Service, and independent providers "no longer accept direct GP referrals for a first ADHD assessment". What that does not do is remove your right to choose who assesses you. You exercise it at triage instead of naming a provider in the referral. South East London ICB states that the service "aims to honour patient choice and does not restrict where patients choose to have their assessment and care".
Will my GP in South East London ICB prescribe ADHD medication after a Right to Choose diagnosis?
Shared-care prescribing after a Right to Choose ADHD diagnosis is GP-discretionary. There is no NHS rule requiring a GP to take over prescribing from the diagnosing provider. The Right to Choose letter separately asks your GP to confirm their position on shared care in writing, so you know where you stand before committing to any private bridge prescription. Shared-care policies vary between practices within South East London ICB.
What if South East London ICB or my GP doesn't respond after I send the letter?
If your GP doesn't respond within 10 working days, follow up in writing referencing the letter and asking for a response date. If there is still no response after a further 5 working days, escalate to South East London ICB's Patient Experience team (or PALS). If the ICB doesn't resolve it within 20 working days, you can escalate to NHS England's National Contact Centre on 0300 311 22 33. The £39 Right to Choose letter includes that escalation letter to the commissioner, drafted upfront, so you already have it if you need it.
Related guides
Right to Choose: ADHD (England-wide)
The full national guide to NHS Right to Choose for ADHD assessment.
Shared care agreements for ADHD in the UK
What shared care means, which GPs typically accept it, and what to do if yours doesn't.
Right to Choose ADHD providers compared
Side-by-side comparison of NHS-contracted ADHD providers: wait times, assessment format, shared-care support.