ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by patterns of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, emotional dysregulation, and/or impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning, including (but not exclusive to) productivity, relationships and education. It affects people across the lifespan and can present differently in children and adults.

In a recent investigation published by the BBC, 15 local areas were identified to have closed ADHD waiting lists, and another 31 which have introduced tighter, and exclusionary, criteria to access support services. ADHD specialist support services across the UK are being scaled back and shut down entirely, as demand soars alongside the struggle to cope with waiting lists and backlogs.

One region, Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, is being threatened with legal action for restricting adult assessments to people under 25 only. Another example is Cheshire, where adult services have been closed to new patients since 2019.

Additionally, the NHS has stated that autism and ADHD assessments across Greater Manchester have been temporarily paused due to increasing demands.

NHS data already showed average waits of eight years for adults once someone is on a waiting list awaiting ADHD diagnosis, and nationally, estimates suggest up to 668,370 people in England had been waiting for an ADHD assessment by the end of June 2025. In the Report of the Independent ADHD Taskforce, waiting lists are shown to have increased to even 10-15 years in some areas of the UK.

The crisis can be seen as compounded by a history of under-diagnosis in women, as ADHD was long seen as a male-only disorder. While boys have outnumbered girls roughly 3:1 in childhood diagnoses, by adulthood, the ratio is closer to 1:1.  Women are more likely to present with inattentive or internalised symptoms that are less recognised by traditional diagnostic models.

As awareness grows, particularly among adults seeking late diagnoses, services are struggling to meet demand, with women potentially underrepresented.

University students are also another group affected by the disruption to ADHD services. Without formal diagnoses, many students could have access to reasonable adjustments (such as extra time in exams, note-taking support, or flexibility around deadlines) limited, even though they may be experiencing significant impairment.

This could also become a financial burden, with those students who this affects facing barriers to accessing Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA), because diagnostic evidence is often required.

At a Westminster press conference on Monday, 17th November 2025, Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice claimed there is a ‘crisis of overdiagnosis of children with neurodiverse issues’, such as ADHD, saying that we need to ‘stop labelling people,’ and described children in classrooms wearing ear defenders – often used by students with sensory sensitivities – as ‘insane’, stating that ‘it’s got to stop.’

In response, Joey Nettleton Burrows, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the National Autistic Society strongly rejected Tice’s claims, noting it ‘stigmatises autistic people’ and asserting that over-diagnosis is not supported by evidence.

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