Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people over 25 with suspected ADHD in Coventry and Warwickshire have timely access to (a) assessment and (b) treatment.

NHS England, not my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, engage directly with Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), on this matter.

It is the responsibility of ICBs in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local populations, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The ICB advises that in March 2025, it introduced a new interim policy under which the ICB will only fund new ADHD referrals for people aged under 25 years old at the point of referral. The ICB advises that this is due to concerns about the effectiveness of the current system locally, particularly for children and young people, and this policy will free up clinical time and funding to be reinvested in children’s ADHD services. The ICB has committed to undertake a comprehensive review of the entire ADHD assessment pathway, working with children, young people, and adults with ADHD, to ensure it meets their needs.

Nationally, NHS England has 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.