Right to Choose (England)

What it is

In England, patients have a legal right to choose which provider carries out their first outpatient appointment when they are referred for a physical or mental health condition, as long as that provider holds a qualifying NHS contract for the service in question.

The three things that decide whether it applies

• Your GP must make the referral. This is not self-referral. A provider cannot add you to an NHS pathway on your own request.
• The provider must hold an NHS contract for that service. Being private, regulated, or well known is not the same thing.
• Your local ICB must fund it under its current commissioning position, which can and does change.

Step by step

1. Check your ICB's current published position on Right to Choose referrals.
2. Check that the provider you are interested in holds a qualifying NHS contract for that service, and that it accepts patients from your area.
3. Book a GP appointment and explain what you are asking for and why.
4. Ask your GP to make the referral, including the provider name and the service.
5. Ask for confirmation of the referral and a copy for your records.
6. Follow up with the provider if you have heard nothing after a few weeks.

What it does not do

• It does not guarantee a shorter wait.
• It does not guarantee that any particular treatment will be offered.
• It does not oblige a GP to refer where it would not be clinically appropriate.
• It does not apply to urgent or emergency care.

Questions to ask your GP

• Do you refer to this provider under Right to Choose?
• Is our ICB currently funding these referrals, and are there caps in place?
• If not, what route is available to me locally instead?
• What will the referral letter say, and can I have a copy?
• If I am assessed and treatment is recommended, who would take over prescribing and monitoring afterwards?
• What should I do if my situation worsens while I am waiting?

Content reviewed: 1 September 2026