An investigation by the BBC has revealed that many areas of the UK have such long backlogs for adult ADHD assessments that it would take at least eight years to clear them.

The report, based on freedom of information requests, suggests there are at least 196,000 adults on waiting lists across the UK, while one trust, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Trust, has a waiting list of more than 6,000 people and assessed only three patients last year.

In response, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has said that “no one should be made to wait years for life-changing care”.

Currently, people are only diagnosed if the symptoms cause ‘at least a moderate impact on their lives’. Despite this, referrals have increased fourfold since 2019, with the percentage of women newly diagnosed with ADHD between 23–29 and 30–49 years of age nearly doubling from 2020 to 2022.

“The BBC report is shocking but not surprising,” ADHD activist and author Ellie Middleton tells Stylist. “I hear daily the stories of people who are on that waiting list, so we know just how incredibly difficult it can be to access a diagnosis, particularly for underrepresented groups like women and people of colour, who have disproportionately been under-diagnosed.”

Middleton, who was privately diagnosed with ADHD two years ago, says the condition needs to be taken more seriously by the government and healthcare professionals.

“ADHD is definitely not taken seriously as a disability. It’s almost as if the people in power think that it’s just an inconvenience like not being able to focus sometimes, being easily distracted or having a bit more energy than most people,” she says. “But it’s a serious disability that has a huge impact on people’s lives. People with ADHD are much more likely to die by suicide. We’re much more likely to experience mental health conditions, eating disorders and end up in prison.”

For people who are waiting for a diagnosis, Middleton shares her advice for handling anxiety. “It’s really important to remember that although it’s very frustrating to not be able to get those answers, so much of what has changed in my life since getting an ADHD diagnosis is a result of me changing my life, not a tick of approval from a doctor.

So yes, medication is a big factor in making life more manageable with an ADHD brain, but aside from that, a lot of things you can do for yourself. As a neurodivergent person, you don’t need permission or approval from a doctor to be able to do things like body doubling, using a planning system that suits you, taking more breaks and working with your brain rather than against it.”

Ellie Middleton is the author of Unmasked: The Ultimate Guide To ADHD, Autism & Neurodivergence

Images: Getty; Ellie Middleton