Five-year wait for adult ADHD assessment in the South East

Campaigners are calling for increased investment to cut ADHD waiting times and speed up diagnosis

Some adults are waiting five years to be assessed for ADHD because of a sharp rise in referrals, the BBC has found.

Assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can take longer than five years in Sussex and up to four years in Surrey, data from health bodies show.

Campaigners are calling for increased government investment to cut waiting times and speed up diagnosis.

NHS bosses said increased awareness has put significant pressure on services.

David Murray waited more than two years for an ADHD assessment

David Murray, from Woking, waited more than two years for an assessment.

He said his diagnoses "was affirmation that I am not broken, that I am not a bad person, I am not lazy".

Marie Hackshall, from NHS Kent and Medway, said there had been a 700% increase in demand for ADHD services since last year.

"Patients are waiting somewhere between 18 months and two years for an assessment," she added.

What is ADHD?

•Symptoms include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, anxiety and sleep problems.

•ADHD was first recognised as a valid condition in the UK in 2000, but not officially recognised as an adult condition until 2008.

•ADHD affects 5% of children and 3% of adults (1.5 million) in the UK, making it the most common behavioural disorder in the country

Source: ADHD Action

Surrey and Borders NHS Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said referrals for assessment have risen from more than 2,200 in 2020/21 to over 4,400 in 2021/22.

Sussex Partnership NHS Trust said demand for services has "had an impact on waiting lists and we know that people are experiencing long waiting times".

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 so an additional two million people can get the support they need."

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