Changes to future publications
From the November 2026 release the following measures will no longer be included in the publication:
- ADHD001- estimated ADHD prevalence
- ADHD008 – ADHD008d – The number of people on the community paediatrics waiting list who could be waiting for an ADHD assessment. These figures will still be available in the Community Health Services waiting list publication available here.
The summary excel file is also being discontinued with all remaining measures published in csv format.
For further information please contact [email protected]
27 August 2026 00:00 AM
Data submissions from February 2025 onwards
Data submissions from February 2025 onwards are not directly comparable to previous months due to new submissions from independent providers that have resulted in an increase in the number of open referrals.
27 August 2026 00:00 AM
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is defined by the World Health Organization as being characterised by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that has a direct negative impact on academic, occupational, or social functioning, the level of which is outside the limits of normal variation expected for age and level of intellectual functioning. Historically there has been no specific data publicly available about people with ADHD. The ADHD data improvement plan highlighted the need to make use of and publish existing data held by NHS England in this area whilst also working to improve data quality.
In this initial publication data is available on the following areas: estimated prevalence of ADHD, the number of people who may be waiting for ADHD assessments, including how long they have been waiting.
A full list of measures currently contained in the publication is published in a data dictionary alongside each release.
Key Facts
Estimated number of people with ADHD
In August 2026, it is estimated that 2,478,000 people in England have ADHD, including those without a diagnosis.
Referrals for an ADHD assessment
In June 2026, there were up to 959,662 open referrals that may be for an ADHD assessment.
New referrals for an ADHD assessment
In June 2026, up to 37,105 new referrals were received to mental health services for a possible ADHD assessment.
Resources
Last edited: 27 August 2026 9:31 am