How do I get my child assessed for ADHD on the NHS?

The first step, and who makes the referral

Ask your child's school SENCO or GP to refer them to your local NHS neurodevelopmental service for an ADHD assessment. Waits are long in 2026 (often 1-4 years), so ask if Right to Choose is open in your area.

Who actually makes the referral varies by area, which is the bit most guidance skips. The SENCO is the teacher in charge of special educational needs. In many areas the school or SENCO now refers directly, and the GP may not be the route at all; in others the GP still is. The service may be called a neurodevelopmental pathway, a community paediatric service, or CAMHS (the child and adolescent mental health service). A lot of services also will not accept referrals for children under 6, so check the local age cut-off before you push.

What happens after the referral

1. You and the school are usually asked to fill in screening questionnaires about your child's attention, activity and behaviour at home and in class.
2. A specialist then carries out the assessment. ADHD has to be diagnosed by a specialist paediatrician, child psychiatrist or another suitably qualified clinician, after a full assessment that includes information from school (NICE guideline NG87).
3. If your child is diagnosed and medication is offered, NHS prescribing afterwards usually depends on a shared care agreement with your GP, which some GPs decline.

The timeline reality in 2026

Be ready for a long wait. NHS England's own figures (the May 2026 management information release) show that at the end of December 2025, around two-thirds of children and young people on the ADHD waiting list had been waiting over a year. There were hundreds of thousands of open referrals across all ages, though NHS England calls the data experimental and a likely undercount. Waits range from a few weeks in some areas to ten years or more in others, so the honest answer is that it depends heavily on where you live.

Routes to speed it up, or work alongside

Right to Choose lets you ask to be referred to an approved alternative NHS-funded provider, sometimes with a shorter wait. Do not assume it is a guaranteed fast track in 2026: at least nine local NHS commissioning areas (ICBs) have paused or capped Right to Choose ADHD and autism assessments under their 2025/26 plans, so whether it helps is a postcode lottery. The other route is a private assessment, which costs money but is faster. Starting the NHS referral does not stop you doing either alongside it.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.