A new joint analysis by the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation indicates that the growing demand for weight-loss medications and neurodevelopmental assessments—especially ADHD tests—is fueling a sharp rise in NHS waiting lists for community-based care.
Soaring Waiting Lists in Community Care
Since the dataset commenced in October 2022, the waiting list for children and young people’s community services has grown by 58 %, versus a 23 % increase among adults.
In July 2025, approximately 326,000 children and young people were on the community waiting list, compared to 870,000 adults.
Children typically wait much longer: nearly one in four spends over a year waiting, and about one in fifteen waits beyond two years. By contrast, only around 1 % of adults exceed a 12-month wait.
Breakdown by Service Type
Children & Young People
55 % of pediatric waits are for community paediatric services, which include neurodevelopmental assessments like ADHD and autism.
21 % are awaiting speech and language therapy, addressing communication and swallowing issues.
6 % each are waiting for physiotherapy, audiology, or occupational therapy.
The increase in demand for autism and ADHD assessments partially explains the growing load on pediatric services.
44 % of adult service users await musculoskeletal care (bone, joint or muscle), making it the largest single category.
Notably, weight management services have seen the steepest percentage surge—512 % growth—likely tied to rising use of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.
Waiting Times for ADHD Tests
The backlog for ADHD assessments has been escalating. Official data is limited, but the Independent ADHD Taskforce reports that waits of 4+ years for children and 8+ years for adults are not uncommon.
In a survey of adults on waiting lists:
Nearly 45 % had waited over a year for an ADHD test.
Around 10 % had been waiting three years or more.
More than 64 % said they received either no information or poor communication during the wait.
Separate research finds that some trusts report waits up to 10 years for adult ADHD assessments.
In May 2025, NHS began publishing waiting-list estimates for ADHD assessments via the Neurodevelopmental Data Hub, barring full national consistency until guidance is fully adopted.
Capacity Strain and Workforce Imbalance
Part of the issue lies in staffing: between 2010 and 2025, community nurse numbers rose by only 1 %, while nurses in adult hospitals increased by 42 % and in children’s hospitals by 93 %.
The report authors warn that this structural imbalance undermines efforts to shift more care into community settings.
Jessica Morris, a fellow at Nuffield Trust, commented:
“Children across the country are waiting far too long for the community care they desperately need … For the families affected, it can feel like life is on hold while they’re stuck waiting.”
Implications and Recommendations
Efforts to prioritize hospital wait times under national targets have left community services comparatively neglected.
Given the ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Plan to shift care from hospitals into local settings, addressing community wait times—especially for neurodevelopmental (e.g. ADHD) assessments—must become a strategic priority.
Key recommendations include:
Setting waiting time targets for community services,
Rebalancing workforce investment toward community settings,
Improving data systems to accurately track ADHD testing backlog and timeliness, and
Scaling up local services that can carry out assessments outside specialist centers.
Unless these are addressed, the risk is a “forgotten generation” whose developmental care is delayed, with long-term consequences for health, education and life trajectories.
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