Henry Shelford, CEO and Co-Founder of ADHD UK, was quoted in the article and provided background information.

A Healthcare Management article (29 September 2026) reports that integrated care boards (ICBs) in England have brought in minimum waits of up to two years for ADHD and autism assessments. It builds on a Guardian investigation that found four ICBs had set two-year minimum waits and 15 had introduced ways of rationing assessments to balance their budgets. For example, West Yorkshire ICB now has a two-year minimum wait from referral, and North East and North Cumbria ICB has a 78-week minimum before an initial assessment.

Henry Shelford, CEO of ADHD UK, told The Guardian the minimum waits were “heartless and dangerous”. Rebecca Gray of The NHS Alliance’s mental health network blamed budget pressures and soaring demand, called the situation unsustainable for patients and taxpayers, and urged a national tariff and service specification for ADHD and autism services. The Government pointed to Professor Peter Fonagy’s independent review of ADHD, autism and mental health, which will be published shortly and will shape a new national approach.

You can read the full article here: https://www.healthcare-management.uk/icbs-introduce-minimum-waits-adhd-autism-assessments