Freedom of Information Request – Ref: GHC-12062026-762143
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
Adult ADHD Assessments
You asked:
How many adults do you have waiting for an ADHD diagnosis at the moment?
Our response:
2411.
You asked:
How many adults were given an ADHD Assessment in the last year (1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026).
Our response:
165.
You asked:
If an adult was referred to you now when would you expect them to be seen?
Our response:
The longest person waiting on the assessment waiting list is 2204 days.
You asked:
Please describe your current Adult ADHD Assessment pathway.
Our response:
Self refferal form to the Adult ADHD service re available on out GHC webpage. A person can also be referred by their GP or other health care professional.
Once received the refferal will be triaged by one of the ADHD clinical specialists. If it is felt that the symptoms described are not related to ADHD we will write to the person referred advising of why and any signposting to a more appropriate service.
If the symptoms reported are felt to meet the need for an ADHD assessment the person will be added to the waiting list and sent a letter to advise of this.
When an assessment place is available the person will be contacted by letter and phone to offer an appropriate assessment time and location.
Following a detailed assessment the assessing team will feedback the outcome of this assessment.
If the assessment outcome was that the person assessed does not have ADHD we will feed this back with detailed reasons, signposting and if appropriate a onward refferal to an alternate mental health service.
If the outcome of the assessment is that the person does have ADHD we will provide a detailed feedback on this and offer medication as the front line treatment options.
If a person chooses to have medication, they will be allocated to one of the ADHD clinical specialist independent Non-medical Prescribers. They will be offered an initial appointment to discuss medications, risks, possible benefits and side effects.
There will them be onward reviews until a person has reached their appropriate medication level.
Following this a letter is written to a persons GP to request that they continue to prescribe ADHD medications.
The person is then added to the ADHD service Annual review list and will be contacted annually to have a review of their physical health related to their ADHD medications.
Child ADHD Assessments
You asked:
How many children do you have waiting for an ADHD diagnosis at the moment?
Our response:
ADHD – 615 awaiting assessment for ADHD
Combined Assessment Needs – 1586
Note: Over the past three years, the Children’s Autism and ADHD Assessment Service (CAAAS) in Gloucestershire has been undergoing a phased transformation into a single, integrated Autism and ADHD assessment pathway. We have worked closely with commissioners to develop a unified model with a single point of access for both Autism and ADHD and ADHD treatment. As part of this transformation, the service has expanded its remit to include children previously seen in paediatrics, resulting in the need to redesign our clinical systems and pathways to reflect the broader population and referral sources.
CAAAS is commissioned to deliver comprehensive, needs-led assessments, which include both Autism and ADHD where clinically indicated. In line with best practice, the service also offers supplementary assessments—such as Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT)—to ensure a holistic understanding of each child’s presentation and support needs.
Due to the integrated commissioning model, referrals are not always clearly defined by a single diagnostic question at the point of entry. Children often present with a mixture of neurodevelopmental features, and clinical needs may evolve as further information emerges. As a result, a child referred for suspected Autism may also require an ADHD assessment (or vice versa) during the course of their journey with the service.
To reflect this, CAAAS maintains three clinical waiting lists aligned to presenting need:
Autism Assessment
ADHD Assessment
Combined assessment need – For children with complex presentations (this may include significant mental health concerns and children who present with characteristics of other Neurodevelopmental Conditions e.g. DLD or characteristics indicative of both ADHD and Autism).
The “combined assessment need” pathway acknowledges the frequent overlap in neurodevelopmental presentations. It should be noted that for all CAAAS assessment pathways, a needs led approach is taken meaning that children can access the required assessments. For example children who are seen through the Autism assessment pathway are able to access an ADHD assessment if this is clinically indicated.
While we are able to report the number of children on each waiting list, we ask that these figures are interpreted in the context of our integrated, needs-led model.
You asked:
How many children were given an ADHD Assessment in the last year (1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026).
Our response:
198.
You asked:
If a child was referred to you now when would you expect them to be seen?
Our response:
We are currently booking children under the age of 11 for an ADHD assessment who were referred in December 2024. We are currently booking children over the age of 11 for an ADHD assessment who were referred in February 2024.
You asked:
Please describe your current Child ADHD Assessment pathway.
Our response:
Please note in all pathways if there is diagnostic uncertainty further assessment might be offered for example cognitive assessment or a discussion may be had with key professionals in the child’s life, for example teacher. A follow up appointment is then offered to the family to conclude the assessment.
ADHD assessment pathway for under 11s
1, Conners questionnaires (Parent/Carer and Teacher) and CAST questionnaires (Parent/Carer and Teacher) are completed prior to face-to-face appointments.
2, A Clinician meets with the family online (or face to face if requested) to complete a developmental History
3, QB assessment completed
4, Parent/Carers and the young person attend an hour-long appointment with a Paediatrician or Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. During this appointment the Doctor will meet and talk to the young person. A structured interview is conducted with the parent/carer. A mental health assessment is completed with the young person. All assessment information is collated and reviewed to identify whether a young person meets criteria according to DSM V. A diagnostic decision is fed back to the family or need for further assessment is identified, and the nature of this assessment and why it is needed is discussed with the family
ADHD assessment pathway for over 11s
Referrals are triaged and placed on one of 2 pathways
Pathway 1
1, Conners questionnaires (Parent/Carer, Teacher and self-report) completed prior to face-to-face appointments
2, Clinician meets with the young person and parent/carer online. Young person attends for the initial part of the appointment and then the clinician completes a developmental history with the parent/carer
3, QB assessment completed if clinically indicated
4, Young person and parent/carer meet with a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist for a 1-hour appointment. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist meets with the young person. A mental health assessment is completed as part of this assessment. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist completes a structured interview with the parent/carer and young person. All assessment information is collated and reviewed to identify whether a young person meets criteria according to DSM V. A diagnostic decision is fed back to the family or need for further assessment is identified, and the nature of this assessment and why it is needed is discussed with the family
Pathway 2 (For young people with a complex presentation)
1, Conners questionnaires (Parent/Carer, Teacher and self-report) completed prior to face-to-face appointments
2, Parent/Carer and young person attend an appointment with 2 x clinicians.
- The team and family meet together. 1 x clinician then meets with the young person. A mental health assessment is completed as part of this.
- The second clinician completes a developmental history with the parent/carer and structured interview to ascertain whether they meet criteria according to DSM V.
- QB assessment completed if clinically indicated. Other assessment completed with young person if indicated e.g. ADOS.
- Clinicians formulate and feedback diagnostic outcome or need for further assessment is identified, and the nature of this assessment and why it is needed is discussed with the family
Next steps:
Should you have any queries in relation to our response, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are unhappy with the response you have received in relation to your request and wish to ask us to review our response, you should write to:
Louise Moss
Head of Legal Services / Associate Director of Corporate Governance
c/o Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Jenner Court
1010 Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester Business Park
Brockworth, GL3 4AW
E-mail: louise.moss@ghc.nhs.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of any review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice/guidance. Generally, the ICO will not consider your case unless you have exhausted your enquiries with the Trust which should include considering the use of the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.