A charity supporting people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is preparing a legal challenge against a regional NHS board that has temporarily stopped accepting referrals for adults over 25.
Coventry and Warwickshire integrated care board said any new referrals for people over 25 would be paused from 21 May to reduce waiting lists for children.
Several other ICBs, including Herefordshire and Worcestershire and some in London, have previously paused ADHD referrals but have accredited other providers for GPs to send referrals to under “right to choose” legislation.
ADHD UK understands that this is the first time that local people aged over 25 will be able to obtain an assessment only by paying privately, which one former patient did at a cost of £1,500.
The charity is beginning the process to mount a legal challenge under the right to choose legislation, which allows patients to choose their provider for certain healthcare services when referred by their GP.
Henry Shelford, the chief executive of ADHD UK, said: “It’s ridiculous. We know one in 10 men and boys and one in four women and girls with ADHD will at some point try to take their own life, so we know there’s a danger.
“We also know that ADHD medication can have a significant positive effect and you can’t get it unless you have a diagnosis. It’s part of the discrimination and a lack of taking ADHD seriously that we face every day.”
Source: The Guardian, 7 July 2025
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