Some children and young people in Wandsworth are waiting 93 weeks, almost two years, for a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD and autism.
Demand for the borough’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has risen by 20% in the last year, the council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee heard, leading to significant delays in treatment. The average wait for treatment has doubled over the past four years, from 7.5 weeks to 15 weeks.
Referrals for neurodevelopmental conditions, such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorders, have risen particularly sharply. Including those with co-morbidities, they have grown from 32% of all CAMHS referrals in 2022/23 to 46% in 2025/26.
The average wait from referral to assessment for these conditions has risen from 13.8 weeks in 2022/23 to 33.9 weeks in 2025/26. In 2025/26, the overall time from referral to case closure reached 53.4 weeks.
Chris Fox, head of service delivery for CAMHS, described the situation as a “real difficulty”.
He said: The average weight to treatment has gone from 7.5 to 15 weeks over the last four years. I'm sure we're all acutely aware of the national picture of new development, but it's pretty stark in terms of the weights. It [the increase in neurodevelopment referrals] has gone from 326 to 2,000. That is essentially working out to be a 93-week weight for someone who needs a neurodevelopment diagnosis.
The meeting heard that the 18-week referral-to-treatment target is being met in only around 60% of cases. The needs of young people on waiting lists are also becoming more severe, which is affecting A&E attendances, the meeting was told.
There are concerns that such long waits could have long-term, irreversible effects on children’s education and social development.
To tackle the problem, the trust has introduced several measures, set out in a report to the committee. These include a single, centralised Neurodevelopmental Single Point of Access (SPA) to redistribute resources and introduce digital screening tools. The trust is also piloting a rapid assessment process and developing an outsourcing partnership to support ADHD medication and titration, the process of adjusting the dose.
A “Waiting Well” scheme offers support packs, regular updates and psychosocial groups for those on the waiting list. The trust is also developing a new all-age approach to neurodevelopmental conditions, so that young people do not age out of CAMHS before they are assessed.
Despite these efforts, the report says reducing long waits remains a key priority, with rising demand continuing to put pressure on services. The committee was asked to note the trust’s update.
