How the wait for an ADHD diagnosis puts lives on hold

A major private assessment clinic has closed its doors to new adult patients as demand has spiked, writes Rebecca Thomas

- Rebecca Thomas

There are 2.8 million people with suspected ADHD in the UK – yet adults across the country are finding it increasingly difficult to get a diagnosis amid a breakdown of services.

Over the last two years, NHS providers across the country have been forced to close their doors to patients. Just last week, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust announced it would no longer accept new referrals as people on the current waiting list face a 10-year wait for a diagnosis.

To put this in perspective, the trust is only funded to carry out 16 assessments a month but receives around 170 referrals in that period, which it describes as an “unsustainable level of demand”. Historically, NHS ADHD services have always been small and underfunded. However, the mismatch has only become apparent in the last couple of years as demand has exploded.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates the global prevalence of ADHD in children to be around 5 per cent, and in adults in the UK around 3 to 4 per cent. However, NHS England said that, as data is collected across different organisations, these figures are likely to “significantly underrepresent” the number of people seeking, waiting for and already possessing a diagnosis of ADHD.

Regardless of the reason for the boom, NHS services have not kept pace with demand – but there has been rapid growth in private sector provision. Adults who suspect they have ADHD have been forced to pay thousands privately to seek a diagnosis, and now even these clinics are creaking under the pressure.