The average waiting time for a child ADHD assessment has risen threefold over the past four years – from six months in 2021 to 18 months this year.
The response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Law revealed that there are currently 147 children on the waiting list for ADHD assessment under Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
The current average waiting time for an ADHD assessment is 18 months. That has risen from six months in the last five years.
| Year | Waiting time |
| 2021 | 6 months |
| 2022 | 7 months |
| 2023 | 10 months |
| 2024 | 15 months |
| 2025 (to date) | 18 months |
The response also revealed that CAMHS only began collecting data relating to the number of ADHD diagnoses in January 2025. Since then, 181 ADHD diagnoses have been made.
It comes after the most recent Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Annual Report highlighted “an unprecedented level of demand” for neurodevelopmental assessments.
The average waiting time for autism and ADHD assessments last year was 55 weeks – over four times the target of 13 weeks.
This is despite £400,000 of Government funding being provided to CAMHS in 2024 to commission private contractors to undertake additional autism assessments online.
And a fresh tender process is currently underway for an external provider to deliver fully online autism spectrum disorder diagnostic assessments for islanders aged from five to 18 years old in a bid to tackle waiting lists.