If you live in Leeds and want an NHS adult ADHD assessment, expect a long wait on every NHS route. Leeds is covered by NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB). The local NHS service is run by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT). It has been closed to most new routine referrals since 11 October 2024. NHS Right to Choose is still available. But for 2026–27, West Yorkshire ICB has set a minimum wait of two years from referral for routine assessments with independent providers. Urgent cases can be seen sooner. A private assessment is usually quicker, but NHS prescribing afterwards depends on your GP agreeing to shared care. Below is what the local NHS has published, with dates, so you can plan.
NHS West Yorkshire ICB plans and pays for NHS services across five places: Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. Leeds has its own ICB office, which worked with LYPFT on the referral changes described below.
There are two main NHS-funded routes for adults:
Under-18s in Leeds are assessed by a separate service run by Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust. This guide covers adults.
In November 2024, Leeds City Council's health scrutiny board was told the LYPFT service had around 4,500 people waiting. It received about 170 referrals a month but could assess around 16. Referrals were more than ten times what it could see.
So from 11 October 2024, GPs were asked to stop sending non-urgent adult referrals. The service still accepted three groups:
When we checked on 1 November 2026, the service was still not accepting non-urgent new referrals. Its waiting-times page (last updated 30 April 2026) says around 2,500 people are waiting and it can see around 16 people a month. It is prioritising people with the most urgent clinical needs. It warns that if your symptoms are considered mild or moderate, your wait "will still be very long".
In December 2025, West Yorkshire ICB told councillors that LYPFT was prioritising people with complex needs only. People needing standard assessments were being directed to Right to Choose providers.
In England, you have a legal right in most cases to choose the mental health provider and team for your first appointment. The right applies at the point of referral, and only to providers with an NHS contract for that service. It is a right to choose a provider, not a right to be referred. Your GP must agree a referral is clinically appropriate. For more on how it works, see our guide to NHS Right to Choose and shared care.
West Yorkshire ICB adds some local detail:
Providers can also pause. In September 2026, one independent provider on the West Yorkshire list stopped taking new ADHD and autism referrals. The ICB was carrying out further checks. GPs were asked to tell affected patients and help them choose another provider.
The ICB's spending on neurodiversity services rose from £3 million in 2022–23 to £25 million in 2025–26. It has identified about £30 million for 2026–27.
The ICB-wide figures cover all five places, not Leeds alone. The ICB says its Right to Choose data is not completely up to date. For the national picture, see adult ADHD in the UK: what the wait actually looks like.
ADHD medicine is started by a specialist, not your GP. The dose is adjusted gradually until it works with the fewest side effects. This is called titration. NICE says that once the dose is stable, prescribing and monitoring should move to primary care under a shared care arrangement.
Your GP doesn't have to agree to shared care. West Yorkshire ICB says GPs can decline if they aren't confident the arrangements are safe. It has also told councillors that poor-quality reports from some non-contracted providers have caused "huge difficulties" for patients seeking shared care.
Before you're referred, the ICB suggests asking any provider:
Paying privately is usually faster. Before you pay, ask what the price includes: the assessment only, or titration and ongoing prescribing too. Ask what happens if your GP declines shared care. A private diagnosis does not guarantee NHS prescribing. That decision stays with your GP.
If you are struggling right now: call 111 and choose the mental health option. You can call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time. If someone's life is at risk, call 999 or go to A&E.
No. NHS-funded assessments in West Yorkshire need a referral from your GP or another referring professional. They must agree the referral is clinically appropriate.
It applies to routine referrals to independent providers under Right to Choose. Urgent cases that meet the ICB's criteria can be seen sooner. The LYPFT service is separate and is closed to most routine referrals.
You can ask your GP. But West Yorkshire ICB says other providers are capped too, and you lose your place in the queue if you move.
Not necessarily. GPs don't have to accept shared care, whoever diagnosed you. Ask your GP about their position before you pay.
Both areas are managing demand by limiting routine assessments. See our Manchester guide.
Proco is preparing a clinician-led adult ADHD assessment service. It is not open yet; you can read about our assessments.
This page is general information, not medical advice. It cannot assess your situation. If you're concerned about ADHD, speak to your GP.
Reviewed by: Proco Team
Last updated: November 2026