A BBC investigation has revealed that it would take over eight years for the NHS to see all adult patients waiting for ADHD assessments in many parts of the UK.
Freedom of Information requests identified 24 services facing extensive delays, with nearly 200,000 people on waiting lists.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists emphasised that no one should wait years for life-changing care, while the new Labour government labels these delays as a symptom of a “broken NHS,” which it aims to fix.
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour, such as making it harder to concentrate and manage time. Other symptoms can include acting impulsively and taking risks.
People are only diagnosed if the symptoms cause at least a moderate impact on their lives.
The surge in waiting times is due to a fourfold increase in referrals since 2019, leading to some trusts closing their waiting lists entirely.
The BBC spoke to people waiting for their ADHD assessment. Louise Nichols explained she has been waiting for two years, and when told about the figures the BBC had obtained about waits in Sheffield, she said she was “speechless” and described it as devastating.
“Feasibly, it’s not going to happen – I’m not going to get an assessment,” she said.
Meanwhile, Katie Drinkwater paid for a private diagnosis after struggling with symptoms since childhood. At one point she thought she was going to fail her degree in health and social care because of it, and she was suffering with her mental health.
“I tried to take my own life twice before I got my diagnosis, because of the stress and trauma of having to navigate a world that I didn’t understand,” she says.
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust has the most extreme backlog, with over 6,000 people waiting and only three assessments completed last year. Despite some trusts attempting innovative solutions, such as partnerships with private practices, the demand for ADHD services continues to outpace capacity.
The Sheffield Trust’s executive medical director, Dr Helen Crimlisk, said:
“We are sorry that we have not been providing a good enough service to people seeking help for ADHD. We have prioritised treating people with a valid assessment instead of carrying out new assessments.”
Thea Stein, chief executive of health think tank the Nuffield Trust, said she has never seen anything like the growth of demand for ADHD services.
She argues thousands and thousands of people are waiting “in distress”, so it is time for a radical solution.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists told the BBC:
“We’re seeing more people than ever seeking support from ADHD services which are struggling to meet this demand.”
The NHS has launched an independent task force to address these challenges, but immediate solutions remain elusive. The lack of official data and uniform service provision exacerbates the issue, leaving many patients in distress, struggling with undiagnosed ADHD and its significant impact on their lives.
ADHD symptoms
ADHD symptoms vary, but some of the most common include the following:
- Impulsiveness
- Disorganization and problems prioritizing
- Poor time management skills
- Problems focusing on a task
- Trouble multitasking
- Excessive activity or restlessness
- Poor planning
- Low frustration tolerance
Further reading
Medical misdiagnosis or delay – Oakwood Solicitors
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Carol Cook joined Oakwood Solicitors in May 2017 to lead the Medical Negligence Department.
Carol handles a wide range of clinical, cosmetic and dental negligence claims and has years of experi…
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