Update on NHS autism and ADHD services for patients registered with a GP in North East and North Cumbria

Last updated: December 2025

What is happening

North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB) plans and pays for NHS services in your area.

Because many more people are now waiting for Autism and ADHD assessments than the NHS budget in this area can support, NENC ICB has asked providers, including Clinical Partners, to make temporary changes to how assessments are booked.

These changes affect some people waiting for an assessment.

What does this mean for you

You will stay on the waiting list unless you ask to be removed
You will keep your original referral date
For now, new assessment appointments cannot be booked

Appointments will still go ahead if you:

Already have an assessment appointment booked, or
Are part way through your assessment, or
Have received a diagnosis and are waiting for treatment, or
Are already taking ADHD medication and need reviews or prescriptions

These services will continue as normal.

When will appointments restart

When NENC ICB confirms that more funding is available, booking will restart.

Appointments will be offered in referral date order, starting with people who have been waiting the longest.

At the moment, we cannot give an exact timescale.

For adults

If you are waiting for an autism or ADHD assessment as an adult, the information above applies to you.

If you have already been invited to book an appointment by voicemail or letter, you can still contact us to arrange this.

If you are already receiving ADHD medication, or are waiting to start medication, this decision does not affect your care. We will continue to support you as planned.

For parents and carers of children and young people

If your child or young person is waiting for an autism or ADHD assessment, the information above applies to them.

Schools can often provide support and make adjustments without a formal diagnosis. You may wish to speak to your child’s school about what support is available while you wait.

If your child is already receiving ADHD medication, or is waiting to start medication, this decision does not affect their care. We will continue to support them as planned.

Your legal Right to Choose

You have a legal Right to Choose which provider carries out your NHS autism or ADHD assessment.

You still have the legal Right to Choose which NHS provider carries out your Autism or ADHD assessment.

However, NENC have explained that this temporary pause applies across all Right to Choose providers. Therefore, changing provider is unlikely to reduce your waiting time and may mean you lose your current place on the waiting list, as a new GP referral would be required.

If you decide to move to another provider:

You will need a new referral from your GP
You must ask to be removed from the Clinical Partners waiting list
If you later return, you will join the waiting list again as a new patient

Learn more: NHS England Patient Choice

Support while you wait

We know waiting for an assessment can be difficult. We understand this may feel frustrating or worrying, and we are committed to making sure you are supported during this time.

If you are worried about your wellbeing (or your child’s), please contact your GP. Schools, workplaces and community services can often offer support and adjustments without a diagnosis.

You may also find these wider resources helpful:

Visit WaitingWell for advice and support for individuals on neurodiversity waiting lists across the UK
Find out more on about neurodevelopmental conditions on the NHS webpages for ADHD in adults and ADHD in children, and Autism
The National Autistic Society have an online community and a helpful advice and guidance page
ADHD UK is a charity run for people with ADHD by people with ADHD
The Health for Teens website has a broad range of useful health information, including about ADHD and autism. All articles and videos have been developed by trusted NHS school nurses and health and wellbeing experts
Explore local support groups or charities
Talk to your GP about self-management strategies, or if you are worried about your or your child’s wellbeing.

If anyone feels in crisis:

For urgent health needs that are not life threatening, please use NHS 111 online at www.111.nhs.uk or by phone. Call 111 and press 2 for mental health. You will be put through to a trained mental health advisor.
Call 999 if it is a life-threatening injury or illness

Support for adults:

Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 for free, confidential text support, availble 24/7
Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, available 24/7

Support for children and young people:

Childline – call 0800 1111 or use online chat
Shout – text YM to 85258, available 24/7
Papyrus HOPELINE247 – call 0800 068 4141 or text 07860 039 967
The Mix – call 0808 808 4994 or use webchat (under 25s)

ICB update image

Questions about these changes

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the NENC ICB Complaints Team by:

Email: [email protected],
Telephone: 0191 374 4218
Freepost: FREEPOST, NENC ICB COMPLAINTS Contact Address: Complaints Team, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Pemberton House, Colima Avenue, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 3XB.

This update applies only to patients on the Clinical Partners waiting list whose NHS care is commissioned by North East and North Cumbria ICB. If your care is arranged by a different ICB, please check your email to see if there is an update for your care.

FAQs

No. You will stay on the waiting list and keep your original referral date unless you ask to be removed.

When bookings restart, appointments will be offered in referral date order, starting with people who have been waiting the longest.

Yes. If you or your child already have an assessment appointment booked, it will go ahead as planned.

Services will continue if you or your child:

already have an appointment booked
are part way through an assessment
have received a diagnosis and are waiting for treatment
are already taking ADHD medication and need reviews or prescriptions

These services will continue as normal.

No. If you are already receiving ADHD medication, your regular reviews will continue as planned.

If you have been diagnosed and are waiting to start treatment, your care will also continue.

The pause only applies to booking new assessment appointments.

When NENC ICB confirms that more funding is available. At the moment, we cannot give an exact date or waiting time.

Yes. You still have the legal Right to Choose which NHS provider carries out your Autism or ADHD assessment.

However, this pause applies across providers used by NENC ICB. Changing provider is unlikely to reduce waiting time and may mean you lose your current place on the waiting list, as a new GP referral would be needed.

We understand this can feel confusing. Under the NHS Right to Choose framework, patients still have the legal right to choose their preferred provider for an NHS-funded autism or ADHD assessment. Because of this, Clinical Partners continues to accept referrals where a GP feels an assessment is clinically appropriate.

However, NENC ICB has asked Clinical Partners to pause booking new assessment appointments until further funding is available. This means we can accept referrals, but we cannot currently book appointments.

Your referral date will still be protected, and when bookings restart, appointments will be offered in referral date order.

Yes, this can happen. All patients are normally booked in referral date order. However, when an ICB asks providers to pause services, new assessments cannot be booked for patients funded by that ICB.

During this time, we may continue booking patients from other ICBs whose funding is still available, even if their referral date is later than yours.

When NENC ICB releases further funding, bookings will resume for patients funded by NENC ICB in referral date order.

If you are worried about your wellbeing or your child’s, please speak to your GP.

Schools, workplaces and community services can often offer support and adjustments without a formal diagnosis. Crisis support details are listed on this page.

The decision was made by North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB).

NENC ICB plans and funds NHS services in this area. Clinical Partners must follow their instructions and cannot change this decision.

Please contact the NENC ICB Complaints Team:

Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0191 374 4218
Freepost: FREEPOST, NENC ICB Complaints Team, Pemberton House, Colima Avenue, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 3XB

Clinical Partners cannot answer questions about ICB funding decisions.

An Integrated Care Board (ICB) is an NHS organisation that plans and pays for healthcare services in a local area.

Your ICB is linked to your GP practice, not always where you live.

Your NHS care is funded by the ICB linked to your GP practice.

You can:

Check your GP practice website
Ask your GP surgery
Look up NHS information about ICBs online