I first started my ADHD journey back in 2022. I wasn’t even sure where to begin, but after finally getting a referral, it took three whole months only to be told it was rejected because there wasn’t enough information (there was literally a letter from a leading psychiatrist, but apparently that is not enough information). That was frustrating enough, but what came next made me realise how broken the system really is. It took me another entire year before I was able to restart the process – this is on me, I had a lot going on. In 2023, I was referred through Right to Choose, a route I didn’t know much about before but felt hopeful about.

Then, in June 2024, almost a full year after that referral, I finally had my first assessment. If I’m honest, that appointment was a mess. It was disorganised, and I felt like the psychiatrist was uninterested in doing their job. I had to wait until October 2024 for a second appointment just to get a diagnosis I was told I should have got previously. This felt painfully slow given that a psychiatrist I saw at university years earlier had already told me I had ADHD but wasn’t able to formally diagnose me. So much of the legwork had already been done but here I was, still stuck in the endless waiting game.

Now, almost June 2025, I am still waiting to start medication. Over three years since I first tried to get help, and I am still waiting. And here is the hard truth: this is not okay. The NHS officially aims to diagnose and start treatment within 18 weeks of referral. The reality for many of us is that it takes years. This is not just about patience; it is about real people’s lives and mental health being put on hold.

It is not just ADHD. This crisis touches many other areas of health too, especially women’s health. Women with ADHD are particularly affected because their symptoms often look different than men’s. The system was built around how ADHD shows up in boys and men, so many women go unnoticed for years. Their struggles are dismissed as anxiety, depression, or even just being “difficult”. This leads to even longer waits, more misdiagnoses, and growing frustration.

It also applies to physical conditions. The waiting lists for gynaecology appointments in the UK have also ballooned in recent years. Over 750,000 people are on these lists, with many waiting far longer than the NHS target of 18 weeks, some waiting over a year. Conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis often take years to diagnose, and the suffering during these waits can be severe. Heavy bleeding, unbearable pain, emotional distress, these are not things that should be put on hold while waiting for care.

Women disproportionately bear the brunt of these delays. The NHS and government policies have repeatedly left women’s health to fall through the cracks. The lack of funding, resources, and specialist care means more women are forced to seek private treatment if they can afford it, widening health inequalities.

So why is this happening? It is a mix of underfunding, staff shortages, and a health system struggling to cope with increasing demand. But whatever the reasons, the result is clear: people are left waiting too long for vital care. This waiting is not just inconvenient; it leads to worsened health outcomes, emotional distress, and unnecessary suffering.

For me, the long wait for ADHD diagnosis and treatment has meant lost years of productivity, mental health struggles, and feelings of isolation. For many women with gynaecological issues, it means living in constant pain and uncertainty. This cannot continue.

We need urgent change. More funding, more trained specialists, and a system designed to meet the needs of all people, not just the easiest to diagnose. The NHS target of 18 weeks to diagnosis and treatment must be more than a goal; it has to be the norm. No one should have to wait years for care that can transform their lives.

This is a call to action for the NHS, policymakers, and health professionals. Listen to those who have waited too long. Invest in the services that can get people the help they need sooner. And recognise that women’s health, ADHD, and many other conditions deserve the same urgency and attention.

Because at the end of the day, waiting is not an option.