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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Anna Bawden and Denis Campbell

NHS bodies in England impose two-year minimum wait for ADHD and autism assessments

Silhouetted children on swings
A government-commissioned report due to be published next month will highlight up to 24-fold rises in the prevalence of neurodiversity in boys since 2000. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

NHS bodies are forcing people with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism to wait at least two years before they can be assessed as they struggle to meet surging demand for diagnoses of neurodiversity.

Four NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) covering large regions of England have adopted the approach because they cannot afford the cost of the number of assessments that people are seeking.

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