Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosis

(asked on 10th June 2025) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve diagnosis of ADHD.


Answered by
Stephen Kinnock Portrait
Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 17th June 2025

As health is a devolved matter, each administration of the United Kingdom takes its own decisions on the provision of assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

It is the responsibility of the 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 ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support, with the report expected in the summer.

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 for ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD wait time data. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs in England who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services, and is using this information to support systems in tackling ADHD waiting lists and providing support to address people’s needs.

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