Specialist ADHD services across England are buckling under the weight of unprecedented demand, leaving thousands of adults and children in limbo as they wait—sometimes for years—for a diagnosis or treatment that could transform their lives. A series of recent reports, including an in-depth investigation by BBC and a formal warning from the NHS England ADHD taskforce on November 6, 2025, paint a stark picture of a system at breaking point, with urgent calls for reform echoing from both medical experts and patients themselves.
According to NHS England, nearly 2.5 million people in England are living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), including an estimated 741,000 aged between five and 24. ADHD, a condition that affects the way the brain works and can lead to impulsivity and difficulty focusing, is thought to impact roughly 5% of children and 3-4% of adults. Yet, as demand for support grows, access to services is tightening, leaving many without the help they desperately need.
The BBC’s investigation found that 15 local specialist ADHD services have closed their waiting lists entirely, while a further 31 have introduced stricter criteria—such as age or severity of symptoms—to ration care. In one particularly stark example, the adult ADHD service in Cheshire has been closed to new patients since 2019. Meanwhile, the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board is facing legal action after limiting adult ADHD assessments to people under 25, a move that has left many older adults without a clear path to diagnosis or care.
Prof Anita Thapar, chair of NHS England’s ADHD taskforce, described the findings as “disturbing,” warning of “enormous risks” for patients left without support. “There’s enormous risks. It’s not a trivial condition,” she told BBC. The taskforce’s newly published report urges a fundamental overhaul of how ADHD is identified and managed in the UK, calling for more joint working across health, education, and the criminal justice system to ensure that people with ADHD are not overlooked.
Currently, specialist services bear the brunt of responsibility for diagnosis and treatment, but the taskforce recommends that community NHS staff—including general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists—play a far greater role. The report stresses the “urgent need” for enhanced training for GPs, so they can perform early screening, make appropriate referrals, and even prescribe ADHD medication with the right support. This, the taskforce argues, would help address the lengthy waits that have become the norm.
The numbers are sobering: NHS data shows that adults can wait an average of eight years for an ADHD diagnosis after being placed on a waiting list. In some areas, such as Surrey, the local waiting list for adult ADHD services has swelled to 11,000 people. To cope, Surrey is piloting an innovative scheme to train private GPs to conduct assessments and provide treatment, offering a glimmer of hope that new approaches might ease the backlog.
For many, the consequences of these delays are deeply personal. Louise Nichols, a 45-year-old mother from Derbyshire, has struggled for years with symptoms she suspects are due to ADHD. “I need a way of helping me function to the best of my abilities. Whether that’s medication or whether that’s support,” she told BBC. After being home-schooled as a child due to school phobia and finding it difficult to hold down a job as an adult, Louise was placed on the waiting list with the neighbouring Sheffield trust—only to be removed when the trust stopped accepting patients from outside its area. She’s not alone: more than 3,700 people in Derbyshire are in the same situation. “I can’t understand why a national health service isn’t across the whole nation,” she said, voicing a frustration shared by many.
For those who do manage to secure a diagnosis and treatment, the impact can be life-changing. Sam Stone, 33, from near Gloucester, told BBC that after years of being prescribed antidepressants, finally receiving ADHD medication felt like “having a cloud hanging over him removed.” But even Sam’s journey was fraught with obstacles: after paying for a private diagnosis, his GP refused to accept it, forcing him back onto the NHS waiting list for confirmation. “I almost struggle to think about it as a system, to be honest, because it feels like there’s such a cacophony of routes that it almost feels like you’re constantly trying to hack the system,” he said. Still, for Sam, the eventual diagnosis was “massive, it’s huge.”
Dr Jessica Eccles, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, acknowledged the strain on services, telling BBC that “rising demand was outstripping capacity” in many parts of the country. “There are unacceptably long waiting lists,” she said, echoing calls for urgent action.
The taskforce’s report doesn’t just highlight the need for more resources; it also calls for a cultural shift in how ADHD is understood and managed. It urges the inclusion of GP training on ADHD in medical school curricula, backed by proper funding and new contracts. GPs who take on responsibilities such as prescribing ADHD medication should receive additional support from specialists, as well as opportunities to train as ADHD experts themselves.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, emphasized that while GPs already support ADHD patients, they require “dedicated time, resources, and access to specialist services” to expand their role effectively. The taskforce also called for more support for individuals stuck on waiting lists—especially young people—by providing early, needs-based interventions that could make a significant difference before a formal diagnosis is even made.
Despite the grim statistics and personal stories of frustration, there are pockets of innovation and hope. In some regions, patients can exercise their “right to choose” by joining a different NHS waiting list or seeking private support if local services are closed. These workarounds, however, are not available to everyone and often depend on local policies and resources.
Ultimately, the crisis in ADHD services is a symptom of broader systemic challenges facing the NHS: rising demand, limited resources, and the need for greater integration across sectors. As Prof Thapar warned, the risks of inaction are severe—not just for individuals, but for society as a whole. Without timely support, people with ADHD are at higher risk of mental health problems, substance misuse, unemployment, and even involvement with the criminal justice system.
The message from experts, patients, and advocates is clear: the time for piecemeal fixes has passed. Only a coordinated, well-funded, and compassionate approach will ensure that people with ADHD receive the support they need—not years down the line, but when it matters most.
