NHS autism and ADHD assessments now face a two-year wait

If you’ve been looking to get an ADHD or autism assessment in England lately, the vibes are off. NHS boards are now officially hitting patients with a two-year minimum waiting time. Real talk: the system is lowkey struggling to keep up with how much our understanding of neurodivergence has evolved.

By the numbers

We are looking at a massive backlog. Right now, nearly 1 million people are on ADHD waiting lists, with the average wait time already sitting at around 64 weeks. On top of that, about 295,000 people are waiting for an autism assessment. The speed at which diagnoses have climbed is wild—between 2020 and 2022, the annual incidence of autism diagnoses for people aged three to 25 tripled for males and increased nearly sevenfold for females.

Why it's happening

It’s not just one thing. Part of it is the pandemic, economic stress, and a massive decline in the stigma that used to surround these conditions. People are finally getting the vocabulary to describe their experiences. But there’s also a structural issue: schools and benefit systems basically use a clinical diagnosis as a "golden ticket" to unlock necessary support. This has forced more people into an NHS that is already short-staffed and under extreme financial pressure.

The culture clash

This spike in demand has triggered a super heated debate. Some critics call it "faddish" overdiagnosis, while others argue it’s just the long-overdue recognition of people who were historically under-identified—especially girls and young women. Peter Fonagy, who is leading a government-commissioned review, noted that we are seeing a mix of genuine unmet needs alongside concerns about over-medicalization.

Why it matters

This isn't just about paperwork; it's about people. When the assessment pipeline gets clogged, it triggers a chain reaction of delays for medical treatment, school accommodations, and financial disability support. The system is currently stuck between a rock and a hard place, and with Fonagy’s final report dropping in a few weeks, the pressure is on to find a way to fix the bottleneck.