‘Horrendous’ waiting time figures for ADHD assessments released

Martin Shipton

Official figures released to a Liberal Democrat campaigner have revealed that appallingly long waiting times for patients awaiting for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder assessments continue to rise.

The campaigner, who prefers for professional reasons to be known by her first name Jayne, was told by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board that in March 2026 one person living in the Gabalfa district of the capital had been waiting for an assessment since July 6 2021.

Cardiff and the Vale is covered by six Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT), each of which is responsible for a distinct geographical area.

The figures show that the numbers of people awaiting an ADHD assessment increased cumulatively between December 2023 and March 2026, as did the waiting times.

In the Gabalfa CMHT area, the number of patients awaiting assessment rose from 244 in December 2023 to 682 in March 2026.

In the Hamadryad CMHT area, the number waiting rose over the same period from 147 to 485; in the Links CMHT area, the number rose from 77 to 245; in the Pendine CMHT area, the number rose from 31 to 262; in the Pentwyn CMHT area, the number went up from 139 to 400; and in the Vale CMHT area, the number rose from 222 to 717.

Meanwhile, in the Gabalfa CMHT area the three patients waiting the longest had in March 2026 been doing so for 247 weeks, 229 weeks and 226 weeks.

In the Hamadryad CMHT area, the three patients waiting the longest had been doing so for 169 weeks, 143 weeks and 141 weeks; in the Links CMHT area for 174 weeks, 165 weeks and 148 weeks; in the Pendine CMHT area, for 116 weeks, 96 weeks and 88 weeks; in the Pentwyn CMHT area, for 189 weeks, 184 weeks and 183 weeks; and in the Vale CMHT area, for 165 weeks, 165 weeks and 164 weeks.

Rodney Berman, the Welsh Liberal Democrat lead Senedd candidate for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, said: “These figures are horrendous. The length of time people are waiting for ADHD assessments, as revealed in this FoI response, is nothing less than shocking. If people can’t even be assessed they can’t then receive any help and support and are being left in limbo. “After 27 years of having nothing but Labour health ministers in charge of the NHS in Wales, this is an appalling legacy and it’s no wonder there is now such an appetite for change.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats want to see mental health treated with the same level of importance as physical health. We are pledging to improve early access to support and to address the chronic underfunding of mental health services, particularly Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. We cannot carry on letting down people with mental health issues so badly.”

Invested

The Welsh Government is not commenting on politically controversial matters in the run-up to next week’s Senedd election, but In October 2025 when Jayne obtained earlier ADHD waiting time figures for across Wales, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We are working to reduce waiting times in response to increased demand for neurodivergence services and have invested significantly to improve these services alongside increasing pre-diagnostic support.

“Our additional investment of £3m this year has helped health boards across Wales to cut waiting times and eliminate waits of more than four years.

“In June, £5.6m was redirected to eliminate three-year waits for children’s assessments by March 2026.

“We are also working to address issues around the prescribing of medication, including shared care arrangements with GPs, to ensure services are consistent across Wales.”