Your ADHD or autism wait, explained
Waiting times for an ADHD or autism assessment in England now depend enormously on where your GP is — not on the clinic you pick. This page explains why, what your NHS Right to Choose rights still are, and the fastest safe route for you, whatever you can pay. We always show the free NHS route first.
The national picture (last checked 27 September 2026)
- 15 of England's 36 NHS areas (ICBs) are now capping, pausing or slowing Right to Choose ADHD/autism assessments.
- In the worst areas the wait is one to two years; in unrestricted areas a Right to Choose provider can sometimes assess you in as little as 2 weeks. Same clinicians — the difference is the local NHS budget, not staffing.
- Longest published minimum waits: West Yorkshire ~2 years; North East & North Cumbria ~78 weeks; Somerset 52+ weeks; Devon up to 52 weeks.
Source: NeuroCompare wait tracker (20 Sep 2026), cross-checked with Finally Seen's ICB briefing (27 Sep 2026). Figures change — confirm with the provider. No wait is guaranteed.
Areas currently capping, pausing or slowing Right to Choose
| NHS area (ICB) | Note |
|---|---|
| Hampshire & Isle of Wight | Prioritisation only for 2026/27 |
| Kent & Medway | Routine “unlikely before April 2027” |
| North East & North Cumbria | ~78-week minimum |
| West Yorkshire | ~2-year minimum |
| Greater Manchester | Most urgent clinical need only |
| Cheshire & Merseyside | Buying fewer adult ADHD assessments |
| Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland | Pausing/delaying to stay in budget |
| West & North London | Some providers at their annual cap |
| Somerset | 52-week minimum (one provider quotes 67) |
| Lancashire & South Cumbria | Reducing new assessments under 52 weeks |
| Thames Valley | A major provider at its funded limit |
| Birmingham & Solihull | New bookings paused at ICB request |
| Norfolk & Suffolk | Waits in excess of 52 weeks |
| Surrey & Sussex | Waits in excess of 52 weeks |
| Black Country | Waits in excess of 52 weeks |
Last checked 27 September 2026 — confirm with the provider.
Not listed here? Many areas still fund Right to Choose with much shorter waits.
See waiting times for every NHS area →
What Right to Choose still means (your rights)
- In England you have a legal right to choose any qualified provider that holds an NHS contract for your assessment (the NHS Choice Framework; NHS Standing Rules 2012, regulation 39). This right has not been removed.
- NHS areas can set annual funding limits ('Indicative Activity Plans'), but NHS England is explicit that these must not restrict your choice of provider.
- A rarely-used rule can help: if you tell the provider or your NHS area that you won't be able to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral, they must take reasonable steps to offer you an earlier appointment elsewhere. Worth asking about.
Your routes (fastest-and-free first)
- Right to Choose elsewhere — pick a provider whose wait is shorter for your area; use our free letter to ask your GP, and compare Right to Choose providers.
- Your local NHS service — free, but often the longest wait.
- Private assessment — faster but paid. NHS England says NHS titration services should accept an independent provider's diagnostic report, so it need not be wasted. A GP is not obliged to take on shared-care prescribing afterwards — ask first.
Two waits, not one
There's the wait to be assessed, and a separate wait to be titrated (finding your medication dose). They behave differently — assessment is mostly a budget/postcode problem; titration is more a capacity one. Ask each provider about both.
Common questions
Why is my wait so long?
Mostly because of where your GP is. Many NHS areas (ICBs) have limited how many Right to Choose assessments they fund each year, so waits in those areas can be one to two years, while other areas can be much shorter. The clinicians are often the same — the difference is the local NHS budget. Figures change; confirm with the provider.
Can my NHS area block Right to Choose?
No. NHS areas can set annual funding limits (Indicative Activity Plans), but NHS England is explicit that these must not restrict your choice of provider. Your legal right to choose has not been removed — though a provider's wait may be longer because of those limits.
Is a private assessment accepted by the NHS afterwards?
Usually, yes, for titration: NHS England says NHS titration services should accept an independent provider's diagnostic report. A GP is not obliged to take on shared-care prescribing afterwards, so ask your practice first.
What if no provider has a short wait in my area?
You can still ask your GP for a Right to Choose referral and keep your place, stay on your local NHS list, or consider a private assessment if you can afford it. You can also ask about the 18-week rule: if you won't be able to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral, the provider or your NHS area must take reasonable steps to offer an earlier appointment elsewhere.
This is general information, not medical or legal advice. Figures change — confirm current details with the provider and your GP. NeuroCompare rankings are never sold.