LONDON,January 15,2026 – More than half of National Health Service (NHS) regional bodies in England are quietly restricting access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments,a move critics are calling “cruel” and a desperate attempt to save money amid soaring demand.
Hidden Restrictions Fuel ADHD Assessment delays
Over 20 regional NHS bodies are limiting the number of ADHD assessments they will fund, often without informing patients or their doctors.
- At least 22 out of 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England have imposed limits on ADHD assessments for the 2025-26 period.
- Thirteen of those ICBs haven’t told general practitioners (GPs) about the restrictions,and twelve haven’t informed patients already on waiting lists.
- The charity ADHD UK estimates average wait times for assessments are already eight years long.
- A government taskforce warned in November that unassessed ADHD can cost the UK economy £17 billion annually.
The restrictions, revealed through freedom of information requests obtained by the charity ADHD UK, are raising serious concerns about access to care for adults and children struggling with the condition. The NHS is implementing these limits through “indicative activity plans” (IAPs), which cap the number of appointments they will pay for.
What is the average wait time for an ADHD assessment in England? Currently, adults and children in many parts of England already face an average wait of eight years to receive an appointment for an ADHD assessment, and these new limits threaten to extend that timeframe even further.
Henry Shelford, chief executive of ADHD UK, condemned the lack of clarity. “Waiting times for assessments are already horrendously long and it’s shocking to see how the NHS is further rationing people’s care to save money. It’s cruel but increasingly widespread,” he said. “We’re seeing ICBs curb patients’ access to ADHD assessment without telling GPs or patients that they are doing this, and without having made any assessment of the consequences.The NHS should be ashamed of itself for such secrecy and hiding the fact that they are depriving people of this vital type of care.”
Economic Impact of Unaddressed ADHD
The government’s ADHD taskforce issued a report in November warning that individuals with undiagnosed and untreated ADHD can face meaningful challenges in work and education. The report estimated the lack of support for those with ADHD costs the UK economy £17 billion each year due to factors like crime, educational underachievement, drug misuse, suicide, and mental ill-health.
North Central London ICB confirmed it had introduced IAPs for both ADHD and autism assessments,but admitted it had not communicated the changes to GPs or patients,despite undertaking an impact assessment. As of last October, 8,583 people in the region were waiting for an ADHD assessment, and 1,306 were awaiting an autism assessment.
While 10 ICBs reported
