ADHD referrals soar in London as government review warns of overdiagnosis

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COMMENTSThe number of Londoners waiting for an ADHD assessment has rocketed in the past year, according to data from NHS England.

In June 2025, 65,120 people in the capital had an open referral for ADHD – but that figure had soared 72% to 112,570 in June 2026.

Over 27,000 of those on the list have been waiting for their assessment for more than two years.

There were 3,235 new referrals in London in June 2025, with similar monthly numbers for the rest of the year.

However, in 2026, the number of new referrals has risen sharply, with 5,750 in June alone.

Numbers have also risen dramatically across the country – 511,000 in England were waiting for their assessment in June 2025, but that figure had grown to 780,000 by June 2026.

37,105 new referrals were received to mental health services for a possible ADHD assessment in June 2026, an increase of a staggering 46.7% (11,815) from the same period the previous year.

NHS England estimates that between 3 and 4% of adults and 5% of children and young people have ADHD.

That equates to approximately 2,478,000 people in England, including those without a diagnosis.

Of these an estimated 737,000 are children and young people – classed as being aged between five and 24.

It comes as an official review has found there is a risk of people being over-diagnosed with ADHD and autism.

A rise in diagnoses over the past 25 years means that cases now appear to be outstripping the expected number in the population for some younger age groups, according to experts.

The review, which was commissioned 10 months ago by then-health secretary Wes Streeting, says the rise in mental health problems that has been seen among young people is real and there needs to be better support in place.

Professor Peter FonagyUCLProf Peter Fonagy, who led the independent review, told the BBC last month that the review “dismisses the idea of a snowflake generation” and insisted “it’s harder to be young now”

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He said: “Adults have let them down. We’re the first generation that probably collectively feels we had a better life than our children will have.

“So, to the person who says it’s a snowflake generation, just try living 24 hours as a 16-year-old.”

Prof Fonagy added that both economic and employment uncertainty, along with the pressures of social media, have created a “very toxic” environment for young people.

Figures published last November showed that the number of 16 to 24-year-olds with a common mental health condition rose sharply from 17.5% in 2007 to 25.8% in 2024.

Speaking to Radio 4 on Friday, Prof Fonagy said that mental health distress in 25-year-olds is up by 50% since 1993, particularly anxiety and depression.

He added that these “worsen the traits of ADHD and autism”, so as awareness of these conditions has increased, it is not surprising that people are turning to diagnosis as “an explanation of what they feel”.