Payment plan could make accessing care ‘as hard as getting an Oasis ticket’

Patients’ right to choose the provider of mental health services where waits can stretch into years could soon become an “illusion”, companies and patient groups have warned.

NHS England has proposed a new payment scheme for 2025-26 which states integrated care boards can specify a maximum amount that would be paid to any provider during one year. This could be low as £100,000. 

Last week HSJ reported warnings from private providers of physical healthcare services about the proposal. They feared it will result in funding not being available to treat NHS patients who had chosen a private provider.

Similar concerns have now emerged from private providers of ADHD and autism assessments, where waiting lists are much longer. Some people are waiting as long as 11 years in some areas for ADHD assessments.

The Right to Choose policy was enshrined in the 2018 Mental Heath Act, and allows patients to select from a range of NHS and private services via a GP referral

The impact assessment for the payment scheme insists the new rules will not damage patient choice, but it admits payment limits “could possibly impact the length of waits for a treatment option offered by that provider. This may in turn impact how patients exercise their right to choose”.

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Source: HSJ, 28 February 2025