AQW 37487/22-27


Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim


Tabled Date: 05/01/2026
Answered On Date: 06/02/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of (i) adults; and (ii) children, currently awaiting assessment for ADHD, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.


Answer:
There is currently no commissioned service for ADHD in Northern Ireland and therefore HSC Trusts do not regularly provide information on ADHD waiting times. The information provided below is management information sourced from Trusts' manual returns, and not official statistics. The implementation of Encompass from 2024 has impacted on both the returning of data and confidence in its accuracy. In light of this HSC Trusts are currently completing validation exercises to assess the robustness of their data returns. The figures for ADHD waits were collated and provided by individual Trusts for waiting times in October 2025.
(i) Number of patients on waiting list for ADHD assessment
Adults
Number of Adults waiting for ADHD assessment
HSC Trust
Current waiting list*
Belfast
3,984
Northern
N/A
South Eastern
3,889**
Southern
N/A
Western
N/A
Total
7,873
**The waitlist figures provided by South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust are unvalidated as the Trust continue to implement Encompass. They are reflective of all new referrals and those waiting a new patient appointment for the overall ADHD service which will extend beyond waiting an assessment for diagnosis.
(a) Number of patients on an ADHD assessment waiting list
Children and Young People
Number of Children waiting for ADHD Diagnostic Assessment
HSC Trust
Paediatric waiting list
CAMHS waiting list
Total
Belfast
1,366
0
1,366
Northern
2,055
N/A
2,055
South Eastern
1,776
9*
1,788
Southern
N/A
751
751
Western
452
N/A
452
Total
5,649
760
6,409
*Belfast Health and Social Care Trust deliver CAMHS across both Belfast and South Eastern Trust areas. Their CAMHS service will undertake ADHD assessments if required for those children and young people open to CAMHS with a co-morbid mental health condition. Currently there are 9 young people waiting within South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust CAMHS for an ADHD assessment.