Overview

• By March 2025, 549,000 people were awaiting an NHS ADHD assessment, with more than 300,000 facing waits of at least a year
• Long NHS delays have driven a surge in unregulated private assessments, creating unequal access for those who can afford to pay
• The interim report calls for a systemic overhaul of ADHD diagnosis pathways and for early support in schools and community settings
• NHS England has launched publicly available data on ADHD referrals and waiting times to help local teams identify and address performance gaps
• Experts warn that untreated ADHD costs the UK economy around £17 billion through lost productivity and increased public spending