Average 618-day wait for adult ADHD assessment

Adults are waiting on average 618 days for an ADHD assessment at an NHS trust.

The figures for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust (TEWV) were released in a response to a Freedom of Information request.

The trust said waiting times could vary depending upon a number of factors, including whether individuals had an existing mental health diagnosis, while the local NHS care board said there had been a "major increase" in the demand for ADHD assessments and support services over the last few years.

A man from Spennymoor, who wished to remain anonymous, said his wait for assessment had "added to the issues that ADHD already causes".

He said: "My relationship has fallen apart, my career is also failing and I'm constantly stressed.

"After an initial GP phone appointment I was seen quite quickly by a mental health specialist who then put me on the waiting list at TEWV.

"In the nearly three years since, I have received two phone calls to simply say I was still on the list and they couldn't tell me how much longer I will be waiting."

The Freedom of Information request asked how long, on average, an adult undergoing assessment for ADHD by TWEV have been waiting for that assessment on 11 June 2025.

Thea Stein, chief executive of health think tank the Nuffield Trust, said the reasons for the significant increase for ADHD assessments nationally and internationally "remain unclear".

She thinks many adults had their symptoms missed as children and now they are presenting themselves for tests.

"Waiting times for NHS services are increasing across the country with waits of up to four years for children and up to eight years for adults.

"Often [a diagnosis] can help people 'make sense' of the difficulties they've faced, allow them to find the right type of support, and live better lives overall," she said.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board said it recognised that "too many adults in our region are waiting too long".

A spokesperson said: "We have seen a major increase in the demand for ADHD assessments and support services over the past few years.

"These services require a workforce with specialist skills and knowledge, which will take time to increase in order to meet demand.

"This is not just an issue in the North East and North Cumbria, but nationally."

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