Are you a Right to Choose provider?

Why NeuroFX Has Chosen Not to Be a Right to Choose Provider for ADHD Assessments.

This is a topic we are asked about regularly, and it deserves a clear, balanced explanation.

At NeuroFX, our decisions are guided by one principle above all else: people are not numbers. Every assessment represents a person, a family, and often years of unanswered questions. That belief shapes how we work, how long we spend with each patient, and why we have made the deliberate choice not to operate as a Right to Choose (RTC) provider.

This is not a criticism of the NHS, RTC pathways, or the clinicians working within them. Many people receive good care through these routes, and for some families, private care simply is not a realistic option. We understand that, and we are genuinely sympathetic to the pressure this places on individuals navigating long waiting lists.

Our position is simply this: we will not compromise quality in order to increase volume.

What Right-to-Choose means in practice

Right to Choose providers hold NHS contracts to deliver assessments and, in some cases, treatment on behalf of the NHS. The intention is sound: to reduce waiting times and increase access for people who might otherwise be waiting years to be seen.

However, those contracts come with very real constraints. Providers are required to demonstrate throughput. Commissioners understandably want to see large numbers of patients assessed within fixed budgets. In practical terms, this often means:

• Short, standardised appointment slots

• Back-to-back assessments with little or no buffer time for clinicians

• Limited flexibility to extend assessments when complexity emerges

• Strong pressure to show high volumes as evidence of efficiency

On paper, this can be presented as safe and effective. In reality, neurodevelopmental assessments are rarely straightforward.

ADHD assessments are not assembly-line work

A high-quality ADHD assessment takes time. It requires space to explore developmental history, co-occurring difficulties, family context, mental health, and risk. It often requires pausing, clarifying, and sometimes extending beyond what was originally planned.

At NeuroFX, our in-person assessments commonly last up to three hours. That is not because we are inefficient. It is because people are complex.

In RTC models, assessments are often expected to fit into much shorter windows. From a commissioning perspective, this can look like value for money. From a clinical perspective, it introduces risk.

Risk of missed information. Risk of oversimplification. Risk of misdiagnosis.

We are not comfortable with that trade-off.

Funding uncertainty and continuity of care

Another reality of NHS contracting is instability. Funding priorities change. Contracts can be reduced, paused, or withdrawn. When that happens, services are disrupted, sometimes abruptly.

In some cases, people can find themselves mid-pathway with uncertainty around follow-up, medication support, or continuity of care.

As a privately funded clinic, our model is different. We are not dependent on short-term commissioning cycles. That allows us to plan conservatively, retain experienced staff, and offer continuity that is not vulnerable to sudden contractual change.

That stability matters to us, and more importantly, it matters to our patients.

Capacity, growth, and values

Becoming an RTC provider would require us to expand capacity rapidly. That means hiring quickly, scaling fast, and fundamentally changing how our service operates.

We are very selective about who joins our team. Experience, compassion, and shared values matter. Scaling at speed makes that harder, not easier.

A large, transactional service model also changes the nature of care. We value being a clinic where patients recognise the voices on the phone, where clinicians have time to think between appointments, and where relationships are built over time rather than processed through systems.

That is not better or worse than other models. It is simply who we are.

Quality over quantity is not negotiable

It is important to say this clearly: our decision is not driven by ideology or frustration. It is driven by clinical judgement and lived experience.

We have seen first-hand what happens when targets take precedence over thinking time. When diaries are packed without breathing room. When extending an assessment feels like a problem rather than a necessity.

We would rather see fewer people and do the work properly than see more people and feel we are cutting corners.

Acknowledging the reality for families

We know private assessments are not accessible to everyone. That is a reality we do not dismiss or minimise. The pressure families are under is real, and the lack of timely NHS provision is deeply frustrating.

We support anyone pursuing the route that is right for them, whether that is NHS, RTC, or private care. Our role is not to persuade people away from other options but to be honest about what we offer and why we offer it in the way we do.

Our position

NeuroFX exists to provide careful, thorough, NICE-aligned assessments delivered by experienced clinicians who are given the time and space to do their work properly.

That choice means we remain independent. It means we stay small enough to protect quality. And it means we accept that we cannot help everyone.

People deserve better than rushed answers.

For us, that is not negotiable.

Considering your options

If you are at an early stage and trying to understand the different pathways available, ADHD UK is a very good starting point for clear, independent information. Their overview of Right to Choose explains how the process works, who it may suit, and what to consider before deciding on a route.

If you are exploring an ADHD assessment and want to understand whether our approach is right for you or your family, we are always happy to talk things through.

There is no pressure and no expectation. Our role is to explain how we work, answer questions honestly, and help you decide what feels appropriate for your situation.

For some people, that will be NeuroFX. For others, a different route will make more sense. Both are valid.