ADHD BACKLOG ‘WILL TAKE NHS 2,000 YEARS TO CLEAR’
NHS waiting lists for ADHD assessments have grown so long that backlogs would take 2,000 years to clear, experts have said.
Campaigners are launching a legal challenge in an attempt to expedite help for those seeking a diagnosis and treatment.
The latest NHS figures show more than half a million people are currently waiting for an ADHD assessment in England.
Services are struggling to keep up with demand - with the number of medicines prescribed to treat ADHD doubling over the last five years.
Experts said trusts cannot keep up with the number of new cases.
According to figures from one trust, there were 6,000 people on the waiting list for a diagnosis between 2023 and 2024, yet only three received an assessment.
At this rate, it would take 2,000 years to clear the backlog, charity ADHD UK said.
The charity will today announce the launch of a legal challenge against local health boards that fail to ensure patients receive treatment within 18 weeks.
Under the NHS constitution, patients have a right to start non-urgent consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral. But the charity says mental health care services are routinely excluded from the pledge, which focusses on physical health.
New data from NHS England shows as many as 668,370 people waiting for an ADHD assessment on the NHS, with an estimated 2.5 million people estimated to have the disorder.
The number of people on treatment has also more than doubled in five years, with 302,1254 patients prescribed ADHD medication between 2023 and 2024 up from 137,885 between 2018 and 2019.
Experts say the rise in prescribing reflects increased awareness of the disorder, partly driven by social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
They have also highlighted the impact of lockdown and the widespread disruption and stress levels caused by the pandemic, in exacerbating symptoms of ADHD.
Campaigners at ADHD UK plan to support people stuck on waiting lists to lodge legal challenges against their healthcare providers.
Last year a BBC investigation found 24 NHS trusts with waiting lists so long they would take at least eight years to clear.
They include Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Trust, which reported more than 6,000 people awaiting ADHD assessments between 2023 and 2024 – but only three patients were assessed that year.
Henry Shelford, the founder of ADHD UK, said: “The data shows more than 6,000 people waiting for ADHD assessments at one trust in 2023-24, with just three cases seen. At that rate it would take 2,000 years to clear the backlog.”
In May, Coventry and Warwickshire integrated care board paused all new adult referrals in order to prioritise younger cases, with 7,500 children and young people facing waits of up to 10 years.
The charity will formally announce its intentions to take legal action at the end of the 4th Annual Global ADHD conference.
Mr Shelford said: “We see so many people waiting for years, and in some cases over a decade, for ADHD assessments. This healthcare failure costs lives and livelihoods.
“We see time and time again that an ADHD assessment and support mean people are more stable in their jobs, which increases their tax contribution, and reduces their likelihood of needing financial support.”
Recommended
The seven things that make ADHD much worse
Earlier this year, ADHD UK successfully blocked an NHS England plan to set payment limits on external providers.
The new rules would have forced local NHS commissioners to cap work outsourced to outside clinics through the Right to Choose scheme, which gives NHS patients the right to pick which provider delivers their treatment.
According to Mr Shelford, as many as 80 per cent of people assessed for ADHD on the NHS are seen outside of their local service.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects concentration, emotional regulation and sensitivity to time.
Dr Imogen Staveley, chief medical officer for NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, said: “More than 7,500 children in Coventry and Warwickshire are on ADHD waiting lists, with some waiting up to ten years.
“We know that’s not good enough, so the ICB has introduced a temporary policy where new ADHD referrals will only be accepted for people under 25. This is a short-term step which allows us to invest in cutting the backlog for children while we work on building a fair, sustainable ADHD service for everyone in the future.”
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Trust was contacted for comment.
2025-10-04T09:05:13Z
