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LONDON, January 23, 2026 – England’s National Health Service is facing a growing backlog in ADHD assessments, and a surprising culprit is emerging: patients who initially sought help privately are now returning to the NHS after hitting roadblocks. Its a frustrating loop that’s stretching already strained resources even thinner.
Private ADHD Assessments Fueling NHS wait Times
A surge in private diagnoses, often not meeting NHS standards, is sending patients back into the public system.
- The NHS is overspending by £164 million annually on ADHD services.
- A growing number of private ADHD assessments are poorly regulated.
- Over 500,000 people in England are currently waiting for an ADHD assessment.
- Some patients face prescription costs exceeding £200 per month after losing private care.
What’s causing the delays in ADHD diagnosis and treatment in England? The NHS is experiencing record demand for assessments, with more than 500,000 people currently on waiting lists. To cope, the health service has increasingly relied on private providers, often through a “right to choose” pathway, but this approach is proving problematic.
A major NHS trust has warned that patients referred to private clinics with NHS funding are increasingly seeking to be transferred back to public care after their treatment stalls. The issues stem from private assessments sometimes failing to comply with guidelines set by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), or from a lack of qualified staff at private providers to manage ongoing prescriptions.
The warning was based on comments from Upkar Jheeta, the head of mental health transformation at MPFT. The report follows a recent report revealing the NHS is already overspending by £164 million a year on ADHD services, with a growing portion allocated to these less-regulated private assessments. The system, often fragmented, lacks consistent clinical standards. MPFT noted that private providers can become approved to offer diagnoses,but their assessments don’t always meet NICE guidelines,and ensuring access to appropriately skilled staff for prescribing can be challenging.
The local integrated care board has responded by introducing a vetting service for “right to choose” providers, but the problem persists. A spokesperson for NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB stated they are “committed to ensuring that patients receive the care and medication they need” and are “working with our partners to review this case and our wider processes for working with private providers.”
On Thursday morning, January 16, 2026, Health Secretary Wes Streeting admitted the government is struggling to keep pace with referrals for both autism and ADHD during an interview with BBC Radio Oxford.
The situation highlights the urgent need for greater oversight and standardization within the private ADHD assessment market,and a more coordinated approach to managing the growing demand for services.