Patients in the UK are being told they may have to wait up to 10 years for a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) through the National Health Service (NHS). Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, among others, have halted the acceptance of new referrals for ADHD diagnosis due to overwhelming demand, with a waiting list of 4,500 patients. Dr. Chris Hosker, the medical director of the trust, highlighted the implications of this decision, stating that it would take well over a decade for a new referral to be seen under the current circumstances.
The trust’s decision reflects a broader nationwide issue with the NHS struggling to cope with the increasing demand for ADHD services without the necessary funding. With 170 new referrals coming in monthly, while the service is only equipped to handle 16 assessments in the same timeframe, the situation has become unsustainable. This move comes in the midst of a larger crisis affecting ADHD and autism services across the country, prompting NHS England to form a specialized taskforce to address the challenges.
Estimates suggest that around 2.6 million individuals in the UK have ADHD, with almost 700,000 of them being children. This growing demand has also exacerbated shortages of medications used to manage ADHD symptoms, adding to the difficulties faced by those already diagnosed. In recent months, several other NHS trusts, including Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, and Oxford Health NHS Trust, have also been forced to stop accepting new referrals for ADHD diagnosis due to similar capacity issues.
The South London and Maudsley NHS Trust in London has indicated that their National Adult ADHD and Autism Clinic and Psychology Service remains suspended for new referrals, with updates expected in January 2025. The move by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust underscores the urgent need for additional resources and support for ADHD services across the board, as individuals wait years for a diagnosis and access to appropriate care.