As the demand for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments continues to soar, the National Health Service (NHS) in England has come under fire for quietly imposing limits on the number of appointments it will pay for, without adequately informing general practitioners (GPs) or patients.
A freedom of information request by the charity ADHD UK has revealed that more than half of the NHS’s 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) have introduced “indicative activity plans” to cap the number of ADHD assessments they will fund during the 2025-26 financial year. Disturbingly, 13 of these 22 ICBs had not even informed GPs about the restrictions, while 12 had failed to notify the patients awaiting assessment.
Henry Shelford, the chief executive of ADHD UK, has condemned the NHS’s lack of transparency, describing the situation as “cruel” and “increasingly widespread.” He warned that the move will force those with suspected ADHD to endure even longer delays in getting the vital care they need, with the average waiting time already standing at an alarming eight years in many parts of the country.
The government’s own ADHD taskforce has highlighted the significant consequences of leaving individuals with undiagnosed ADHD unsupported, estimating the annual cost to society at a staggering £17 billion due to issues such as crime, educational underachievement, drug misuse, suicide, and mental health problems.
While the NHS has maintained that the payment scheme proposals are designed to “put ADHD services on a more sustainable footing” and improve the consistency and quality of care, the lack of communication with both GPs and patients has raised serious concerns about the true motivations behind these measures.
As the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has ordered a review to examine the reasons behind the rise in diagnoses of ADHD, autism, and mental illness in recent years, the NHS faces growing pressure to address the issue transparently and ensure that those in need of ADHD assessments are not denied access to this vital service.
