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By Dylan Johnston, Joel Brogan and Jamie Bain

The NHS are no longer accepting new patients for their specialist adult ADHD services in England.

A BBC investigation found that 15 NHS trusts are no longer taking on any new adult ADHD patients, while 31 others have tightened their criteria to access the support.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects impulse control, focus and activity levels, among other symptoms.

There are options available to those with ADHD for treatment and support, but only with an official diagnosis.

The current timeline to get a diagnosis has patients on a waiting list for more than eight years.

This is due to the system struggling to keep up with demand.

ADHD diagnosis in the UK rose by 15% between 2020 and 2023, and prescriptions for ADHD medications have increased by 150% in England, according to a 2024 NHS report.

The Chair of the independent Attention Deficit Disorder Taskforce, Professor Anita Thapar said: “This report reflects a real shared commitment to improving understanding, support, and outcomes for people living with ADHD.

“ADHD impacts are wider than health alone, and the taskforce’s recommendations will need action across government and society, not just within the NHS, if we are to make changes.”

This news follows a report in October of ADHD patients being cut off from their prescription medication without warning.

Healthwatch Essex found that 40 out of 70 patients had their prescription stopped by their GP with little or no warning. For many of them, this caused stress, anxiety and increased difficulty in performing their daily tasks.

Kendall, 18, said: “It's really, really bad, they should be introducing more facilities for people in need.”

Both the trusts shutting off new patients and the prescriptions suddenly being cancelled have only been reported in England.

This still could be cause for concern for patients in Scotland though.

Out of the roughly 120,000 children with ADHD in the UK, 37,000 of them live in Scotland according to Education Scotland.

Scottish people represent 30% of children with the disorder, despite Scotland’s overall population representing just 8.2% of the UKs.

According to the Scottish ADHD Coalition, fewer than 0.1% of adults in Scotland currently receive treatment for ADHD.

It’s estimated that as many as 5% of adults live with the disorder and would benefit from medication.

NHS Health Minister Zubir Ahmed said of the report: “Too many are waiting too long to get the ADHD assessment and help they need, which can have a huge impact on their working life, social life, and wellbeing.”

NHS England to cut adult ADHD services