Blog

Across Yorkshire and the Humber, demand for adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) assessment, treatment and support has grown rapidly in recent years. While increased awareness is a positive step forward, it has brought into sharp focus a system under significant pressure and growing unmet need.

The challenge

Long waiting lists have become the norm rather than the exception, with many people facing delays of several years before they can access the help they need. These delays are not just operational challenges, they have real human and economic consequences.

Adults seeking an ADHD diagnosis are often navigating complex lives, balancing work, relationships, and mental health challenges. Waiting for answers can mean prolonged uncertainty, missed opportunities, and avoidable deterioration in wellbeing.

For services, the strain is equally significant, with growing backlogs and limited capacity to respond at pace. And while some people can afford to pay private for a diagnosis, this brings its own set of challenges and widens inequality.

This isn’t an isolated challenge in Yorkshire and the Humber, but one that spans the country. In response to this, NHS England in 2024 commissioned an Independent ADHD Task Force to determine transformation needs and develop change recommendations.

Recognising the need across our region and building on significant progress made elsewhere in the country, we are mobilising a piece of work to better understand the scale and nature of the challenge here in Yorkshire, and build a case for change with our Integrated Care Systems to adopt a new primary care-led model, or indeed elements of it. We are bringing together clinicians, system leaders, people with lived experience, and wider stakeholders to identify practical, sustainable solutions.

So who is getting this right?

Colleagues at Health Innovation North West Coast, in partnership with their Cheshire & Merseyside healthcare system, have developed an integrated Adult ADHD Transformation Model, an innovative approach that pushes the boundaries of commissioning and diagnosis, where appropriate, from hospital into the community. While developed in another region, its principles are highly relevant to Yorkshire and the Humber. At its core, the model focuses on improving access, reducing waiting times, and ensuring that people receive timely, appropriate support.

The approach, which aligns with ADHD Taskforce recommendations, moves away from a single, linear pathway towards a more flexible and scalable system. It emphasises earlier triage, clearer categorisation of need, and greater use of multidisciplinary teams including introduction of a new Neurodiversity Practitioner in primary care. Digital tools also play a role, helping to increase capacity without compromising quality. Importantly, it recognises that not everyone needs the same level of intervention and that care should be tailored accordingly. By triaging based on level of need, people will receive the right intervention at the right time, freeing up capacity for those requiring specialist assessment.

As we continue the process of exploring how this model could be adapted and implemented locally, collaboration is key. This is not about importing a solution wholesale, but about working together to shape an approach that meets the specific needs of our population and our services.

Interested?

There are several ways people can get involved. We are keen to hear from GPs, clinicians, commissioners, voluntary sector partners, and crucially, people with lived experience of ADHD. Your insights will help ensure that the model we support our systems to develop and adopt is both practical and person-centred. Over the coming months, there will be opportunities to contribute through surveys, engagement events, and pilot activity.

This blog marks the start of a series where we will share progress, learning, and reflections as this work evolves. We will explore the challenges in more depth, highlight examples of innovation, and provide updates on how the transformation model is being shaped and tested in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Addressing ADHD waiting lists is not a quick fix. It requires system-wide change, sustained commitment, and a willingness to challenge traditional ways of working. But there is also a real opportunity here to create a more responsive, equitable, and effective model of care for adults with ADHD.

Get in touch

We look forward to working with you on this journey. If you’d like to find out more, email Ben.Porter@healthinnovationyh.com.