Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Screening
(asked on 16th January 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on increasing capacity for adult ADHD assessments in Leeds since 2024; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of those measures on waiting times.
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. The NICE guideline does not recommend a maximum waiting time for people to receive an assessment for ADHD or a diagnosis, however it sets out best practice on providing a diagnosis.
NHS West Yorkshire ICB continues to prioritise improvements for adults with suspected ADHD, focusing on three key areas: expanding diagnostic capacity, strengthening early support within primary care, and improving pathway safety and responsiveness. These changes and improved clinical resilience are beginning to have a positive impact on waiting times for adults in Leeds.
More specifically, individuals transferred to accredited providers are being seen faster than if they had remained on the National Health Service trust waiting list. Additionally, Leeds NHS ADHD service waiting list growth, which had previously been rising rapidly, has now stabilised due to improved referral management and clearer access criteria. Urgent and complex patients are now prioritised more consistently by the NHS trust provider, improving safety and reducing risks associated with delayed assessment or medication oversight. Lastly, the ADHD referral hub is reducing unnecessary diagnostic demand through needs-led support; more than one quarter of adults supported through the hub have not required an onward referral for ADHD assessment.
For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan; and has released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving data quality and publishing more localised data. NHS England intends to publish data at an ICB level in 2026/27. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs. More details on the improvement plan are available at the following link:
My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. This independent review will inform our approach to enabling people with mental health conditions, ADHD and autistic people to have the right support in place to enable them to live well in their communities.