What is Thames Valley ICB doing about ADHD services?
Thames Valley ICB is currently reviewing ADHD services for assessment and support across East Berkshire and West Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, to ensure we can deliver the most efficient and effective service within our current funding. This is a national problem as ADHD receives no separate funding from NHS England, and the large rise in requests of diagnosis of ADHD has overwhelmed our commissioned services.
We have established an ADHD Steering Group with service delivery partners including Oxfordshire Health Foundation Trust (OHFT), Berkshire Health Care Foundation Trust (BFT) as well as voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations. The ICB is committed to hearing the voice of our population; within the ADHD Steering Group there are lived experience representatives.
Our aim is to address the current issues where we can and to develop a new model of ADHD service.
If you live in East Berkshire, there is a two year neurodiversity plan that has been published.
Are ADHD assessment services paused?
Due to a significant rise in demand for adult ADHD assessments, services are currently experiencing an unprecedented volume of referrals that exceeds the capacity of locally commissioned provision.
Since February 2024, the Oxfordshire Adult ADHD Service has made the difficult decision to pause new referrals. This follows a sustained increase in demand that has outstripped available resources. This change may affect patients across both Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
From 1 December 2025, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has also suspended new adult referrals for ADHD assessments, as well as referrals for adults wishing to start or restart ADHD medication. This temporary measure has been introduced to stabilise the service and maintain patient safety. It will allow the team to prioritise care for patients already receiving ADHD medication, complete outstanding diagnostic assessments and medication reviews, reduce waiting list pressures, and support longer-term service redesign to improve effectiveness and sustainability.
These changes do not affect referrals to the Children and Young People’s (CYP) ADHD Team. The Adult ADHD Team will continue to accept referrals for young people aged 18 and over who are transitioning from CYP Neurodiversity services and are stable on ADHD medication. Where appropriate, and depending on existing shared care agreements, referrals for NHS transfer of care will also be accepted for patients moving into Berkshire who are already prescribed ADHD medication.
For children in Berkshire, referrals for assessment are typically made jointly by families, schools, or other professionals involved in the child’s care (this would not usually be the GP). This approach ensures that appropriate supporting information is included. Please refer to the service’s website for further guidance on how to make a referral for a child.
Can my GP continue my prescription of ADHD medication if a specialist started it?
The ongoing prescribing of medication by the GP, once a specialist has stabilised the medication and potentially transferred care back to the GP, is governed by a shared care protocol (SCP) between the GP, the patient and secondary care. There is variation across GP practices in Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West.
Some GPs continue the prescription of ADHD medication but do not undertake the annual review. This is undertaken by a specialist in line with national guidance.
Some GPs carry out a localised primary care led annual review to enable their patients to access treatment.
Some GPs do not carry out annual reviews or prescribe the medication.
A GP does not have to accept the prescribing of any medicines for ADHD or the annual review. This is explained in more detail in the Position Statement on Prescribing for ADHD in Primary Care following Private Consultation. There are currently two version of this position statement that depends on where you live in the Thames Valley ICB. If you live in East Berkshire you can find the statement here and if you live in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire or West Berkshire you can find the statement here.
Unfortunately, the commissioned services in secondary care do not currently have the capacity for ongoing prescribing of ADHD drugs and so cannot take on the prescribing beyond stabilising the treatment dose.
Do I have the right to choose?
Patients can request right to choose assessments (RtC) via their GP. However please note that GPs are not obliged to make a referral unless they believe it is clinically appropriate to do so including the choice of provider.
The ICB is producing an accredited provider list to support this. These accredited providers will be shared with our GPs to ensure they are able to refer to the most appropriate service. The list of accredited RtC providers will be made available on this website once the process is complete, which is expected before the end of April 2026.
However, it should be noted that RtC providers often do not offer easy access face to face appointments and that not all providers offer post-diagnosis support, including medication if needed. Also, for more complex patients with mental health and other difficulties as well as a neurodiversity, the RtC providers are not always aware of other local resources which might be of benefit to the patient, so a local referral may be better.
All providers (both locally commissioned or those operating under RtC) operate under indicative activity plans. This is an annual allocation as a guideline for expected activity levels of new assessments which is agreed between the ICB and providers each financial year. While RtC providers cannot reject referrals, they may need to manage excess demand by:
- Creating waiting lists, or
- Delaying new assessments when nearing their allocation limits, until the next financial year when further funding becomes available.
This does not affect their patients who have already been assessed or are on medication.
Your GP will be able to discuss your unique needs and support a referral to an appropriate clinical team. If you are considering medication as a treatment, please discuss this with your GP before they refer you to ensure you are referred to a provider who can meet your needs.
More information on your right to choose and the circumstances this relates to can be found at the following: How to access mental health services - NHS .
What can I do while I am waiting for ADHD assessment?
Please go to the Help yourself to manage ADHD webpage for more information about managing symptoms.
In addition, please see resources below:
Berkshire
Getting help now: ADHD | Children Young People and Families Online Resource
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire Adult ADHD Service
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | Oxford Health CAMHS
Buckinghamshire
Resources - Buckinghamshire Adult ADHD Service
Neurodevelopment | Oxford Health CAMHS
National resources : ADHD in adults - NHS