ADHD diagnosis: long waits on the NHS need urgent attention


Our one pager report based on the new data from NHS England and Healthwatch England regarding ADHD and diagnosis, also highlights what residents of Surrey experience.

06/06/2025
By
Mental health

The national findings include:

  • Of the 363 respondents who had already been diagnosed, most agreed their diagnosis improved many aspects of their lives.
  • Of all 963 respondents 41% said they didn’t seek a formal ADHD diagnosis, with 20% of this group citing long waits as a reason.
ADHD diagnosis: long waits on the NHS need urgent attention - July 2025(pdf) Download File (pdf 107.68 KB)
ADHD diagnosis: long waits on the NHS need urgent attention - July 2025(word) Download File (vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document 74.23 KB)

I feel like the diagnosis has helped me understand myself, my difficulties and my strengths. Over the years I have acquired many labels such as stupid, useless, lazy, annoying, etc. ADHD is the most validating label and is helping me undo years of thinking negatively about myself.

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