NHS bodies in England impose two-year minimum wait for ADHD and autism assessments
Summary
NHS bodies in England are making people wait at least two years to get assessed for ADHD and autism because they cannot handle the large number of requests. Patient groups warn these long waits may harm children and adults by delaying needed support, and many people are turning to private clinics for faster assessments.Key Facts
- Four NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) in England now require at least two years’ wait for ADHD and autism assessments.
- Fifteen ICBs covering 19 million people have introduced limits or priority rules on who can get assessments.
- There are currently about 960,000 people waiting for ADHD assessments and 295,000 waiting for autism assessments in England.
- Private clinics perform half of NHS-funded ADHD assessments and a third of autism assessments because of NHS delays.
- The rate of autism diagnoses among boys aged 7 to 18 rose from 0.2% in 2000 to 4.7% in 2025.
- The rate of ADHD diagnoses in boys 7 to 18 increased from 0.4% in 2000 to 5.1% in 2025.
- A government-ordered review highlighted the huge rise in mental health, ADHD, and autism diagnoses and raised concerns about the quality and financial aspects of assessments.
- West Yorkshire’s NHS board saw its assessment costs rise from £7 million in 2023-24 and introduced a two-year wait for independent provider assessments.
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