Review management of ADHD assessments and increase funding
10,574 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 7 October 2021; it closed on 7 April 2022. The Government responded on 21 April 2022. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 6 February 2023.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Review management of ADHD assessments and increase funding
The Government should commission a review of how Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessments are managed by the NHS, including through Shared Care Agreements, and increase funding to reduce waiting times.
In July 2020, a Freedom of Information request made by the BBC found that over 21,000 people were waiting for ADHD assessment on the NHS. Some people have spent up to 5 years on the waiting list.
NHS Constitution states it should be no more than 18 weeks from referral to seeing a consultant for non-urgent, consultant-led treatments. ADHD is a chronic mental health issue.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 21 April 2022; the petitions site lists the Department of Health and Social Care as responsible. Its summary:
It is vital to have timely assessments for ADHD so people can get the right support. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have clear guidelines on improving assessments and diagnosis.
The opening 370 words of the 553-word response:
The Department acknowledges that some people are experiencing long waits for an assessment of ADHD. We recognise that it is vital that people receive a timely assessment and diagnosis of ADHD, as this is important in enabling people to access the care and support they need to live fulfilled lives.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the organisation that provides guidelines for assessing ADHD and we are guided by NICE’s evidence-based recommendations in these guidelines. We expect all Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and NHS trusts to follow NICE’s ADHD guideline ‘Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management’ to improve the assessment and diagnosis of ADHD in adults and children, and the quality of care and support that people receive. Making a diagnosis can be complex because there is no physical test for ADHD (such as a blood test). The NICE guideline therefore does not recommend a maximum waiting time between referral and an assessment for ADHD. The NICE guideline was last updated in September 2019 and in particular recognises the underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of ADHD in girls and women and the importance of people being able to access support to manage their symptoms and live well with ADHD.
We have no current plans to review how ADHD assessments are managed by the NHS, as it is for CCGs to commission and provide these services based on the needs of their local population. In addition, under the Health and Social Care Act (2012), it is for commissioners to decide how services are funded in their area.
The Handbook to the NHS Constitution (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supplements-to-the-nhs-constitution-for-england) sets out that patients should start consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral, with certain exceptions including services that are not consultant-led and services provided or commissioned by local authorities. ADHD assessments do not fall within this guidance and decisions about ADHD services and treatment are made locally by CCGs.
We and NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I) do not define ADHD as a mental health condition, but a group of behavioural symptoms that often exist in conjunction with many other conditions whose symptoms can overlap and mask those of ADHD e.g. autism, language disorder, dyspraxia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and mental health conditions.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 649 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 45, came from Brighton, Pavilion.
10,534 of the signatures were from the UK and 40 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Brighton, Pavilion | 45 |
| Wantage | 44 |
| Bracknell | 43 |
| Wycombe | 42 |
| Manchester Central | 40 |
| Norwich South | 38 |
| Edinburgh South West | 37 |
| Hove | 37 |
| Newbury | 37 |
| Chelmsford | 36 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 1,837 |
| North West | 1,299 |
| East of England | 1,222 |
| London | 1,023 |
| South West | 962 |
| Scotland | 823 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 819 |
| East Midlands | 792 |
| West Midlands | 707 |
| Wales | 434 |
| North East | 400 |
| Northern Ireland | 102 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 6 February 2023. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/597840.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
a8ee71a326eeb11b… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.