Adults
4,970
adults waiting for an NHS ADHD assessment
Non-commissioned service — wait unquantifiable
We don't have enough recent figures to estimate how long a new referral would wait.
NHS area · Northern Ireland
ADHD assessment in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Figures come from our own Freedom of Information requests. Last updated 22 July 2026.
At a glance
Children and young people
1,214
children and young people waiting for an assessment
At the current pace, a new referral to a local NHS service could wait about 3 years.
15th longest of 38 areas we have figures for. Middle of all areas: 2.7 years.
Right to Choose
England only
Right to Choose does not apply in Northern Ireland. Your GP refers you to your local NHS service.
We know of 1 restriction affecting access here. See details
How Belfast Health and Social Care Trust compares with other areas
Each dot is one NHS area. Further right means a longer wait at the current pace.
Middle of all areas: 12 years
010 yrs20 yrs30 yrs40 yrs50 yrs60 yrs70+ yrs
Middle of all areas: 2.7 yearsThis area: about 3 years
04 yrs8 yrs12 yrs16+ yrs
What does "at the current pace" mean?
We divide the number of people waiting by the number of assessments the service did in the last year. It shows how long someone joining the list today could wait if nothing changes. It is an estimate, not a promise: services can speed up, and some people are seen sooner because of urgency. The NHS standard for non-urgent care is 18 weeks.
Local NHS services
The NHS services that assess people here, with their latest figures.
4,970 adults waiting across the whole area, according to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (31 March 2026).
What they told us
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust — response 22 Jul 2026, ref 37601 (via Department of Health redirect DOH 2026-0116; ADHD not regionally commissioned in Northern Ireland). ADULT: 4,970 adults referred and awaiting assessment. The adult provision is a very small NON-COMMISSIONED service reconfigured out of core Community Mental Health Teams; the Trust says it cannot estimate when a newly referred adult would be seen (Service_Status red band). 229 appointments were carried out in FY2025/26 but these MIX caseload reviews with possibly some new assessments, so they are not a usable assessment count and no effective wait is derived. Clinical priority is applied as deemed appropriate.
We don't have figures from individual NHS services here yet.
1,214 children and young people waiting across the whole area, according to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (31 March 2026).
What they told us
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust — response 22 Jul 2026, ref 37601. CHILD (Community Paediatrics ADHD Service — not formally commissioned): 1,214 children waiting (as at 6 Jul 2026); minimum 386 offered assessment 23 Jun 2025-24 Jun 2026 (pathway redesign means Apr-Jun 2025 data unavailable; count excludes children assessed via other clinics) -> derived ~3.1 years (1214/386, an upper-bound derivation since the denominator is a minimum). The Trust's OWN forward estimate is starker: a child referred today is expected to wait 5 YEARS 2 MONTHS; the longest current routine waiter was referred 7 May 2021. Urgent cases 6-8 weeks; children reaching school year P7 are reprioritised. The service only assesses ages >6 to end of P7 — NO post-primary (11+) diagnostic assessments and none for children with severe learning disability. Separately, CAMHS (which Belfast runs for both the Belfast and South Eastern HSC areas) assesses ADHD only alongside comorbid mental-health need: 32 (Belfast) + 8 (South Eastern) currently on its pathway; 22 + 25 assessed in the year.
We don't have figures from individual NHS services here yet.
What is restricting access here
Rules the NHS here has put in place that limit who can be assessed, or how fast.
Adults and children
No clear local pathway
ADHD services here are not formally funded, and 4,970 adults are waiting with no estimate of when they would be seen. The children's ADHD service only assesses children over 6 who are still in primary school, and a child referred now would wait over 5 years.
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What you can do
1
Get updates for this area
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2
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Sources and how we work
In June 2026 we sent Freedom of Information requests to 1 organisation here. 1 has replied: 1 in full, 0 in part.
| Organisation | Reply | Received | Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast Health and Social Care Trust | Full | 22 July 2026 | View |
Older figures and records (2)
- Mar 2023 Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (adults): 1,710 waiting, 101 assessed · SourceThe Belfast Health and Social Care Trust told us via FOI that 101 adult ADHD assessments were carried out in 2023. around 1,710 adults were reported to be waiting for an ADHD assessment. The expected wait time is 16.9 years.
- Mar 2023 Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (children): 964 waiting, 702 assessed · SourceThe Belfast Health and Social Care Trust told us via FOI that 702 child ADHD assessments were carried out in 2023. around 964 children were reported to be waiting for an ADHD assessment. The expected wait time is 1.4 years.
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Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
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