The Right to Choose Psychiatry uk
As a patient, you have the legal right to decide the place you're referred to for treatment. This is the case for consultant-led elective care, as well as to services commissioned by CCGs or NHS England.
Psychiatry UK offers ADHD, Autism and combined assessments under the NHS right to choose pathway. This allows individuals who are on long NHS wait lists to choose their preferred of a provider and cut down on their waiting time for an evaluation.
What is the right of a choice?
The right to choose psychiatry uk is an important legal right that allows people to make their own choices about their healthcare. This applies to many services including assessments and treatment. If a person has been diagnosed with a condition like ADHD, they can choose an alternative NHS provider from the one in their locality. This can be helpful for a number of reasons including travel restrictions or to see someone who specialises in their particular condition.
The legal right to choice is currently in effect at the time of referral from a primary care physician for the first outpatient appointment for a mental or physical health issue. It is only available to providers who are medically appropriate and have a contract for commissioning with the CCG or NHS England (host commissioner) for the service.
For instance, if a person is directed to their local NHS Trust for an ADHD diagnosis, they will likely be referred to a local mental health clinic where waiting times could be over 2 years for a first appointment. However, if the person has the right to choose they can opt to be directed to an online ADHD diagnosis service like Psychiatry-UK which provides a faster route to diagnosis.
This is a positive development that could increase access to mental health treatment in the UK. It is frustrating waiting for an assessment, and then treatment. There are many challenges in improving access to psychiatry and the delivery of services in the UK. This includes a shortage of consultants and a drive to increase the number of people who are seeking to join the field.
If a doctor wants to refer the child to Psychiatry UK for an online ADHD test in accordance with the lawful right of choice the GP must write a short letter explaining the reasoning behind their decision. The letter should be directed directly to Psychiatry UK and include the name of the doctor at the end of the page (not ANP). The letter should also contain an overview 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 make a choice?
In England If your GP has recommended you to a team of consultants led by mental health professionals for assessment or treatment, you may be eligible for Right to Choose. This includes a neurodevelopmental diagnostic evaluation for ADHD or Autism. This does not include other NHS services, like psychotherapy or counselling. You should also not be in the Armed Forces, be detained under the Mental Health Act or be in a secure environment (including courts, prisons and certain secure training centres and youth offenders' institutions, or immigration removal centres).
You must have been referred an organization that provides NHS services by your GP to be able to be able to use this right. The service offered must be clinically appropriate to your needs. Psychiatry UK is currently able to provide ADHD assessments through Right to Choose for adults and children until age 19. These appointments are in person. They are able to offer an individual ADHD assessment for children and adults if you would prefer an online appointment. They also provide the titration of medications after an assessment, however this is not offered through RTC.
It is important that you inform your GP that you intend to exercise your right of choice. You can download a referral letter from a variety of Right to Choose providers and present it to your GP. This letter explains the information that they need to make a referral. Click here to download the template from Psychiatry UK.
How do I exercise my rights of choice?
In the majority of cases the event that a GP recommends you to a specialist for mental health treatment you have the legal right to choose a provider for your treatment. Your choice will not cost the NHS any more than if you were referred to an NHS hospital. You can 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 make use of your right to to access cancer services with a maximum two-week waiting time as well as maternity services or mental health services provided by the armed forces.
In a survey of intending psychiatrists conducted one, three, and five years following medical school 4 percent of respondents chose psychiatry for their first choice of career. When compared to doctors who cited other clinical careers as their first choice, this figure was similar to the 3-4 percent who chose psychotherapy as a specialization in the USA. The figures were higher for women than men, reflecting the trend of women deciding to become psychiatrists than men.
The decision of psychiatrists to pursue psychiatry as a career 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.
Psychiatry UK can offer an independent assessment to those with ADHD. The GP of the patient may refer them to Psychiatry UK through the NHS Right To Choose. A specialist ADHD clinician will offer an assessment and medication titration. Here, GPs will get more information, including an email they can send to their patients.
You can only exercise your Right to Choice for other conditions, such as OCD If your GP suggests an assessment by a specialist in mental health and you've been released from the service. Your GP may request an appointment from the specialist mental health services to Psychiatry-UK, and we can then provide an independent assessment and titration for any medication prescribed.
What if I do not want to exercise my choice?
psychiatryuk do not have to make a decision when you do not want to. However, if you do, you will need to be aware of the consequences of doing so. If you do not exercise your right to choose it will affect how quickly you get an appointment and what service you get. It will also affect your choices in the future when you are referred to another.
It is essential to inform your GP immediately when you decide to not take advantage of this right. The doctor should then recommend you to the best service that suits your requirements. It might take a bit longer to make an appointment, but if it is the best thing to do it's worth it.
You can ask your GP if Psychiatry UK offers an online ADHD assessment. The website has details on how to do this, as well as an assessment letter you can download and present to your GP. This service can be offered to both children and adults, but they do not offer titration for medication 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 non-profit organization that provides free, confidential, e-consultations with psychiatrists who are qualified. Consultations are conducted on the internet and are booked through a secure online booking system. These appointments are recorded and saved in a medical database and the data is analyzed by a group of specially trained medical professionals to monitor the patient's health. These clinicians are also overseen by senior mental health professionals who ensure that the service is delivered at the highest quality.
The authors would like to thank the nine participants for their time and efforts. They were recruited at different stages of their medical school and came from a variety of backgrounds. From second year at BSMS and just about to complete their fifth year at medical school. They were interviewed via email or videoconference and asked to discuss their experiences when choosing a career as psychiatrist.