Autism & ADHD Assessment Waiting Times UK: 2026 Family Guide

If you've searched anything like "how long is the autism assessment waiting list" or "NHS ADHD assessment wait time for a child," you already know the honest answer isn't simple. Waits vary enormously depending on where you live, which pathway you're referred to, and which provider carries out the assessment. This guide brings those numbers together in one place, explains why the wait looks so different from family to family, and sets out exactly what you can do if the wait you've been given feels too long.

We update the figures in this guide every quarter, so you're looking at current information rather than a number that was accurate two years ago and never revisited.

Quick answer: what's the current wait?

The current wait times from NHS GP referral to first assessment appointment is as below: 

• Remote Autism Pathway (8-18 years): 16 weeks
• Hybrid Norwich Autism Pathway (6-18 years): 3 weeks
• Hybrid Exeter Autism Pathway (5-18 years): 16 weeks
• Hybrid Exeter Autism Pathway (2-4 years): 17 weeks
• Remote ADHD Pathway (8-18 years): 4-8 weeks to first appointment
• Combined Autism and ADHD Remote Pathway (8-18 years): 4 weeks
• Combined Autism and ADHD Hybrid Norwich Pathway (8-18 years): 3 weeks
• Combined Autism and ADHD Hybrid Exeter Pathway (8-18 years): 4 weeks

Figures above reflect Paloma Health's published wait times as of the last update to this page. Wait times change regularly and can also be affected by NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) restrictions in your area, see below. Always check current figures before making decisions based on them.

Why does the wait vary so much?

A few honest factors explain the range you'll see when researching this:

The pathway you're referred to. A fully remote assessment, where every appointment happens over video call, generally has a shorter wait than a hybrid pathway that requires booking an in-person observation slot at a physical clinic. Younger children (particularly under 5) often need more clinical steps before an assessment can begin, which can extend the timeline slightly.

Which NHS provider your GP refers you to. Under NHS Right to Choose, you're not limited to your local community paediatrics or CAMHS team. You can ask your GP to refer you to any provider holding an NHS standard contract, and different providers have very different capacity and waits. This is the single biggest lever most families don't realise they have control over.

Where you live. Some NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) place local restrictions on Right to Choose providers, either capping the number of patients a provider can accept from that area or imposing a minimum wait regardless of the provider's normal capacity. This means two children referred to the exact same service on the exact same day, from different parts of England, can end up with meaningfully different appointment dates.

Demand on the specific service. Assessment providers, NHS and independent alike, book patients in referral order, so a service that's recently seen a surge in referrals will naturally have a longer live wait than its historical average.

Autism assessment wait times by pathway

Autism assessments generally involve three appointments: a parent and school questionnaire stage, a parent interview, and a child observation, followed by an outcome report and meeting. The "wait" most families care about is the time from GP referral to that first appointment being booked.

As a guide, current typical waits from referral to first appointment are:

• Remote pathway (ages 8–18): around 12 weeks. Every appointment, including the child observation, happens by video call, so there's no travel and no need to coordinate around a clinic's diary.
• Hybrid Exeter pathway (ages 5–18): around 14 weeks. The parent interview happens remotely, but the child's observation appointment is in person at the Exeter clinic.
• Hybrid Exeter pathway (ages 2–4): around 15 weeks. Children this age must first be seen by a community paediatrician who confirms an autism assessment is appropriate, which is an additional clinical safeguard rather than a delay caused by the assessment service itself.
• Hybrid Norwich pathway (ages 6–18): around 12 weeks, with the in-person observation held at the Norwich clinic.

After the two or three assessment appointments are complete, most families receive their outcome report and a review meeting within two to three weeks.

ADHD assessment wait times

ADHD assessments currently move faster than autism assessments in most cases, largely because the process itself is shorter: typically a social context questionnaire followed by a single, detailed appointment involving the assessor, parent, and young person together.

• Assessment (referral to first appointment): typically 4–8 weeks, once the required school or social context questionnaire has been received. This is often the part that determines how quickly things move; a prompt response from school can meaningfully shorten the overall wait.
• Medication and titration, if recommended: if your child is diagnosed and medication is recommended, there's a further eligibility screening and titration process (finding the right medication and dose) that currently adds roughly another 12 weeks.
• Combined autism and ADHD assessment: if your GP refers for both conditions at once, current typical wait is also around 4–8 weeks to first appointment.

Does where you live change your wait? The ICB factor, explained

This is the part of the waiting-time picture most articles miss, and it genuinely changes what number applies to you.

NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) commission and fund healthcare, including Right to Choose services, for their local population. Some ICBs have placed restrictions on independent Right to Choose providers, which affects families registered with a GP in those areas regardless of which provider they choose.

Areas with a funding-related pause (as of this page's last update): Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, Greater Manchester ICB, North East and North Cumbria ICB, and Thames Valley ICB have placed limits on the number of patients some Right to Choose providers can accept, with delivery paused in these areas until at least 31 March 2027. Referrals can generally still be accepted and queued, but assessments won't begin until after that date.

Areas with an imposed minimum wait: Devon ICB, Dorset ICB, and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB have imposed a minimum wait of 14 weeks between referral and first appointment, regardless of a provider's normal turnaround.

If you're not sure whether your ICB has a restriction in place, ask directly, either when your GP submits the referral or by contacting the provider you've chosen. It's a completely reasonable question, and a well-run Right to Choose provider should be able to answer it immediately.

The 18-week rule: your right to switch if you're waiting too long

If your child is already on a waiting list, whether with your local NHS service or another Right to Choose provider, and the wait has passed 18 weeks (or you've been told it will), you have a legal right to switch to a different NHS provider. This is part of the same NHS Choice Framework that underpins Right to Choose in the first place.

In practice, this means:

1. Speak to your NHS GP and explain you'd like to transfer your existing referral rather than start from nothing.
2. Ask your GP to refer you to the new provider under Right to Choose, referencing the length of your current wait.
3. Your original referral information doesn't need to be duplicated from scratch. Let the new provider know you're transferring, so they can request relevant information rather than repeating assessments unnecessarily.

This rule exists precisely because waiting times vary so much by area and provider. If you've been quoted or have already experienced a wait beyond 18 weeks, it is worth actively raising this with your GP rather than assuming you have no choice but to keep waiting.

How to avoid unnecessary delays (things within your control)

Some parts of the wait are outside your control (ICB restrictions, provider demand). Others genuinely aren't:

• Choose the shortest suitable pathway. If your child meets the age and clinical criteria for a fully remote assessment, it will typically move faster than a hybrid pathway requiring an in-person clinic visit, purely because there's more flexibility in booking.
• Get school or nursery questionnaires back quickly. Most providers cannot book the first appointment until they've received a completed social context questionnaire from school. A polite, early nudge to your child's SENCO or class teacher can shave real time off the wait.
• Submit a complete referral first time. Missing information (incorrect date of birth, incomplete address, unclear pathway choice) is one of the most common reasons a referral gets delayed before it's even booked. Double-check these details with your GP before you leave the appointment.
• Know your Right to Choose options before the GP appointment. Walking in already knowing which provider and pathway you want (rather than working it out during a 10-minute slot) avoids a second appointment purely to confirm the referral details.
• Use the 18-week rule if you're already waiting. As above, don't assume a long existing wait is fixed. If you're past 18 weeks, or told you will be, you can ask to switch.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the waiting list for an autism assessment on the NHS? It depends heavily on your local area and which pathway and provider you're referred to. Under NHS Right to Choose, families aren't limited to their local service, and providers with more capacity can offer significantly shorter waits than an overstretched local team. As a guide, remote Right to Choose pathways commonly run around 12–15 weeks from referral to first appointment, though this varies and some local NHS services report considerably longer waits.

How long does an ADHD assessment take once my GP refers? Typically 4–8 weeks to the first assessment appointment via a Right to Choose remote pathway, with medication assessment and titration (if recommended) adding further time after diagnosis.

Can I choose a provider with a shorter wait than my local NHS service? Yes. Under the NHS Choice Framework, once your GP agrees a referral is clinically appropriate, you can ask to be referred to any provider holding an NHS standard contract in England, not only your local team. This is the basis of Right to Choose.

What is the 18-week rule and does it apply to autism and ADHD assessments? If you've been waiting, or are told you'll wait, longer than 18 weeks for a referral to be seen, you have the right to ask to switch to a different NHS provider. This applies to Right to Choose autism and ADHD assessment referrals as it does to other elective NHS referrals.

Why do some areas have longer waits than others for the same provider? Some NHS Integrated Care Boards place funding restrictions or minimum wait times on independent Right to Choose providers covering their area, which can extend the wait regardless of that provider's normal capacity elsewhere in England.

Does a shorter wait mean a lower-quality assessment? No. Right to Choose providers are held to the same NICE guidelines and NHS standards as any NHS-commissioned service, regardless of their current wait time. A shorter wait usually reflects capacity and demand, not a difference in clinical rigour.

Is there a cost difference between a faster and a slower pathway? No. All NHS Right to Choose pathways, remote or hybrid, are fully NHS-funded and free to families, regardless of wait time.

Where to go from here

If your family is currently facing a long local wait, it's worth having a direct conversation with your GP about your Right to Choose options, the pathway that best fits your child's age and needs, and, if you're already on a waiting list, whether the 18-week rule applies to you.