The NHS Right to Choose letter — free, doctor-built template

The letter does three jobs at once. It tells the practice you are exercising your right under the NHS Constitution, names the hospital you want to be referred to, and quotes the NHS England guidance that confirms the practice is required to honour the request for a first outpatient appointment. Most GPs already know this. The letter exists to remove the friction when the receptionist or referral clerk does not.

• Your name, NHS number (if known), date of birth, and registered GP practice
• The hospital you want to be referred to and the specialty
• The wait gap — how much shorter the new hospital's typical wait is than the local one, with the data source cited
• The quoted legal basis: NHS Constitution + NHS England Patient Choice guidance
• A polite line confirming you understand the referral will be sent via the NHS e-Referral Service

You usually do not need the letter to exercise the right — the conversation at the appointment is enough. The letter matters in three situations:

• If the practice is unfamiliar with Right to Choose. A printed template with NHS England guidance quoted directly takes the conversation off the table.
• If the referral has been delayed. A formal letter creates a paper trail and a date.
• If you can't get an appointment quickly. Email the letter ahead so the practice can action the referral without a face-to-face slot.

The letter is a referral request, not a clinical authorisation. The GP still needs to confirm that referral is the right next step — for example, that you have already had any first-line investigations the specialty expects. If the GP raises a clinical reason the referral is premature, that is a separate question to the Right-to-Choose mechanic itself.

The letter also does not bind the receiving hospital. The hospital can decline a referral if it falls outside their service specification, though this is rare for routine specialties.

• The full Right to Choose explainer — covers the legal basis, when it applies, and when it doesn't.
• What to do if your GP refuses the referral.
• NHS England Patient Choice guidance — the source we cite inside the letter.