NHS England to review ADHD services amid concerns about rise in diagnoses

The NHS in England is to launch a major review of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services amid concerns about a rise in diagnoses.

ADHD is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and could act on impulse, according to the NHS.

Support groups say the condition is underdiagnosed and that patients face long waits for treatments. But there are also concerns that ADHD is being overdiagnosed, with rogue private clinics offering patients powerful drugs and told they have the condition after unreliable online assessments.

NHS England said its aim in setting up the taskforce alongside the government was to improve care for people living with the condition.

It will bring together expertise from across a range of sectors, including the NHS, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting those with ADHD and help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand, NHS England said in a statement.

ADHD was the second most viewed health condition on the NHS website in 2023, after Covid-19, according to figures compiled by NHS England, with 4.3m page views over the course of the year.

Discussion about ADHD is also widespread on social media globally, with #ADHD attracting tens of billions of hits on TikTok.

Announcing the taskforce at an NHS England board meeting this week, health leaders outlined the work they had already carried out assessing ADHD service provision and identifying the causes of reported increases in demand.

An initial assessment of NHS care for those with ADHD found many of the challenges spanned wider society, and included capacity, medication supply issues, variation in services and a lack of reliable data, which the new expert group would explore in more detail, NHS England said.

The taskforce will also engage with patients, service providers, primary care services, local authorities, schools, educational providers and clinical teams. Its findings are expected to be published later this year. The terms of reference will be published in the coming weeks.

The World Health Organization defines ADHD as being a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that has a direct negative impact on academic, occupational or social functioning. About one in 20 children are estimated to be affected by the condition globally.

Amanda Pritchard, the NHS England chief executive, said: “NHS staff across the country are working hard to ensure all patients requiring assessments and further support from ADHD services are seen as promptly as possible.

“We have recognised that more needs to be done to ensure people can get a timely diagnosis and importantly, that all of their needs are addressed.

“This is a hugely complex piece of work and this taskforce will need to consult a wide range of partner and experts, to understand more about the issues impacting those with ADHD and how service provision can be better joined up to meet people’s needs today and in the future.

“This is a vital first step in helping us achieve real improvements in the ADHD services that the NHS and the independent sector provides.”

Steve Russell, NHS England’s chief delivery officer, said officials would use the findings from the initial review to improve data collection to better understand the scale of the challenge in England.

Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, said it was vital that people with ADHD not only received a timely assessment and diagnosis, but also got the support they needed to live fulfilled lives.

“We’re already exploring options to improve data collection and reporting on assessment waiting times, and this new taskforce is crucial to support this work to ensure they get faster, simpler and fairer care.

“A better understanding of the issues facing people with ADHD will help us across government and the NHS to address them, creating solutions over the long term.”