ADHD UK has threatened legal action against an NHS organisation over its decision to impose a minimum two-year wait for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism assessments.
In a legal letter to West Yorkshire NHS integrated care board (ICB), seen by the Guardian, the charity alleges that the decision to force patients to wait at least two years for such assessments was unlawful and says it will seek a judicial review if the board fails to reverse the policy.
West Yorkshire ICB introduced the two-year minimum wait this year, affecting thousands of people with possible ADHD or autism in Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield.
West Yorkshire is not the only ICB to ration access to assessment for neurodiversity. The Guardian revealed last week that it was one of four – alongside Devon, Somerset, and North East and North Cumbria – to have imposed minimum waits amid spiralling costs due to the volume of assessments being sought. A further 11 have introduced other mechanisms to ration the number of assessments.
ADHD UK claims West Yorkshire failed to follow correct procedures, alleging the ICB breached equalities legislation, denied patients their legal right to choose non-NHS care, failed to involve patients, carers or the public in the decision, and that the decision ran counter to NHS contract regulations.
Source: The Guardian, 1 October 2026
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