NHS Cannot Meet Autism or ADHD Demand, Report Says

The extraordinary rise in demand for autism assessments and ADHD treatments in England has overtaken the NHS's capacity to meet it, a think tank says. 

 

Since 2019, there has been a five-fold rise in people waiting to see an autism specialist and a 51% increase in prescriptions for ADHD medication, according to the Nuffield Trust. 

 

Growing backlogs and longer waiting times are negatively impacting people's daily lives, it warned. 

 

One out of every 100 people is on the autistic spectrum, it is estimated, while 2.6 million people in the UK have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) . 

 

The Nuffield Trust said 24% of patients referred for ADHD in England were having to wait one to two years for an assessment. 

 

Meanwhile,172,000 adults and children are on a waiting list for an autism assessment - the highest recorded figure - according to NHS data analysed by the think tank. 

 

Between October and December 2023, the median time spent on a waiting list after an autism referral rose to over nine months, compared with four months in the same period in 2019. 

 

Seven Care Services are a specialist provider of Autism and ADHD assessments. We have clinics in Coventry and Lichfield as well as able to conduct online assessments nationally. Our waiting time from initial referral to diagnosis is four weeks. If you require an Autism or ADHD assessment, please get in touch.