The Bench Report

UK ADHD Crisis: Long Waits for Diagnosis & Treatment Explored

• The Bench Report • Season 2 • Episode 30

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This episode looks at the critical state of support for people with ADHD in the UK, drawing on a recent parliamentary debate. We highlight the significant challenges within the NHS, including exceptionally long waiting lists for diagnosis, which can stretch for years.

The discussion covers difficulties in accessing treatment, such as problems with shared care models for medication and the lack of essential specialist reviews. The real-world impact of untreated ADHD on education, employment, and mental health is stressed. We also touch upon government efforts, like the ADHD taskforce, aimed at addressing these issues and improving services.

Key Takeaways:

  • NHS waiting lists for ADHD assessments can be extremely long, notably reaching 7.5 years for adults in parts of Oxfordshire and 5-8 years in Northern Ireland.
  • Due to overwhelming demand and safety concerns, some NHS adult assessment waiting lists have been closed.
  • Even with a diagnosis, accessing ongoing medication can be difficult because required annual specialist reviews are not always commissioned services.
  • There are problems with shared care agreements, making it challenging for individuals with private diagnoses to receive NHS medication.
  • Untreated ADHD has serious consequences, linked to higher school exclusions, lower academic success, substance misuse, and disproportionate representation in the prison population.
  • An independent ADHD taskforce has been commissioned to understand challenges and propose recommendations for improving services.
  • There have been recent shortages of some ADHD medications, although issues for several types have reportedly been resolved.

Source:  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Volume 768: debated on Tuesday 10 June 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Amy:

Hello and welcome to The Bench Report. You're listening to Amy and Ivan.

Ivan:

Today we're looking at something that came up recently in Parliament, the state of support for people with ADHD here in the UK.

Amy:

That's right. It's clearly a topic causing a lot of concern and the discussion really highlighted some major challenges.

Ivan:

Exactly. So our aim is to sort of unpack the key points from that conversation covering diagnosis, treatment, access, the whole picture really.

Amy:

And hopefully give you a clearer understanding of where things stand with ADHD support right now and why these issues are, well, So important for so many people.

Ivan:

OK, maybe we should start with the scale of the problem. The waiting lists were a huge focus.

Amy:

They really were. That Oxfordshire example is staggering. The adult list, it's basically closed.

Ivan:

Functionally closed, yeah. And the numbers.

Amy:

From March, they had 2,385 people waiting. But capacity for only 26 assessments a month.

Ivan:

Which means if it were open, someone joining now might wait.

Amy:

An estimated seven and a half years just to be seen.

Ivan:

And it's not just Oxfordshire. Northern Ireland was mentioned, too. Plus, referrals

Amy:

are soaring. Oxfordshire saw almost a 50% jump between 2019 and 2024.

Ivan:

And nationally. The estimate to clear the adult backlog is, on average, eight years. Could be decades for some trusts.

Amy:

That timeframe itself just screams crisis, doesn't it?

Ivan:

And it's not just getting the assessment. There are systemic barriers after that.

Amy:

Like the transition from child services, CMHS, to adult services.

Ivan:

Right. In places like Oxfordshire, again, with that adult list closed since February 2024, where do young people go?

Amy:

It becomes a dead end, essentially. They age out and there's nothing there.

Ivan:

Then there's the whole issue around medication continuation. NICE guidelines say annual specialist reviews are needed.

Amy:

But these reviews often aren't actually commissioned, not funded, in areas like Oxfordshire.

Ivan:

GPs are left in a really tricky spot. They might feel they have to stop prescribing controlled ADHD meds without that specialist sign-off.

Amy:

Leaving people with the diagnosis, but potentially without access to the medication they rely on, it seems counterintuitive.

Ivan:

And the shared care model, where a specialist passes prescribing to the GP... That's also hitting bumps, especially for private diagnoses.

Amy:

Ah, yes. GPs might refuse to take over prescribing even with a valid private diagnosis.

Ivan:

Leaving people stuck. And then you mentioned Northern Ireland.

Amy:

Where schools sometimes won't even accept a private diagnosis, forcing families onto those massive NHS lists anyway.

Ivan:

It really does create this feeling of a sort of two-tier system emerging. Private versus NHS.

Amy:

It's important context, though, isn't it, that this surge in demand might be more about awareness.

Ivan:

Exactly. Increased awareness and acceptance rather than necessarily more people having ADHD. Some research, like from King's College London, points that way.

Amy:

But it doesn't change the fact that health care professionals are clearly feeling, well, overwhelmed by the sheer volume.

Ivan:

So what's actually being proposed or done, there's the government's ADHD task force launched in March.

Amy:

Right. They're meant to be figuring out the challenges and looking beyond just health needs. Interim findings expected soon, apparently.

Ivan:

NHS England is also looking at improving data collection and finding examples of innovative local services that ICBs are trying out.

Amy:

And specifically ideas were floated, too, like universal primary school screening, more teacher training.

Ivan:

Including ADHD in the 18-week target for first appointments, maybe. Targeted info for harder-to-reach groups.

Amy:

Oxfordshire's ICB mentioned trying to reopen an 18-to-25 service, maybe mid-to-late 2025, though there was definite skepticism about timelines.

Ivan:

Understandably, given past delays. And technology's playing a role, too, like QB tests helping with child assessments.

Amy:

But while all that's happening, the consequences of these delays are really severe.

Ivan:

Hugely. Untreated ADHD is linked to being a leading cause of school exclusions, lower academic results, higher dropout rates.

Amy:

And the link to the justice system is pretty stark. That figure of 25% of the UK prison population having ADHD.

Ivan:

It suggests untreated symptoms, maybe impulsivity, could be a factor driving some offending behavior.

Amy:

Plus connections to substance misuse, family breakdown, serious mental health problems. It's a wide impact.

Ivan:

And discrimination came up too.

Amy:

Yes. Specific examples were given the Army, RAF, Royal Navy, police actively discriminating or not employing people with ADHD. That's quite shocking.

Ivan:

We should also quickly touch on the medication shortages people have faced.

Amy:

Ah, yes. It sounds like things have improved for some, like lisdexamphetamine, but there are still issues for others, like certain methylphenidate types.

Ivan:

The government says it's working with manufacturers and updating guidance for pharmacists and doctors.

Amy:

So, wrapping this up, why does this matter to you listening? Well, whether it affects you directly or not, these systemic problems impact education, workplaces, community wellbeing. Everything, really.

Ivan:

And maybe a final thought to leave you with. Given all these hurdles in getting diagnosed and treated promptly, the idea came up. What if ADHD was consistently managed like other long-term conditions, you know, like diabetes or hypertension? Could that shift allow people to actually thrive and contribute fully instead of hitting these constant roadblocks? Something to think about.

Amy:

As always, find us on social media at BenchReportUK. Get in touch with any topic important to you.

Ivan:

Remember, politics is everyone's business. Take care.

Unknown:

Thank you.

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