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ADHD in the UK: Navigating Diagnosis, Demand, and Digital Disruption
Feb 12, 2026
Author Affiliation: IQVIA, The Point, 37 North Wharf Rd, London W2 1AF
Executive Summary: A Shifting Landscape in ADHD Care
The ADHD treatment landscape in the UK is undergoing rapid transformation. As of May 2025, an estimated 2.5 million people in England are living with ADHD, with 550,000 awaiting diagnosis.(1) Demand for care is surging, particularly in the private sector, which has expanded to 14.5% in Q2 2025.(2) ADHD medications, primarily stimulants like methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine, and non-stimulants like atomoxetine remain the basis of treatment.(3)
The ADHD stimulants market is increasingly competitive, with over £12 million spent on pharmaceutical company healthcare professional engagement in the past year.(4) Prescription volumes are growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6%, significantly outpacing the broader UK therapeutic landscape.(5) Notably, recording of ADHD among adult women aged 31–49 has risen by 694% over five years(6), reflecting both increased awareness and shifting diagnostic patterns.
ADHD Trends: Growing Treatment Demand and Evolving Demographics
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by impairing levels of inattention, disorganisation, and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity and can affect daily functioning, including work performance, relationships & emotional regulation and is one of the most common mental disorders diagnosed in childhood, and symptoms often continue into adulthood.(7)
ADHD prescription volumes are increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6%, according to IQVIA’s measure of medicine demand (IQVIA Prescription Based Services (PBS) & Hospital Pharmacy Data (HPA) data) significantly outpacing the overall UK market growth rate of 2% (5). The private sector is becoming increasingly pivotal, with IQVIA’s measure of private medicine supply (IQVIA Supply Chain Manager (SCM) data) indicating its share rising from 8% to 14.5% between Q1 2023 and Q2 2025. Digital channels dominate this segment, with internet pharmacies now responsible for more than three quarters of private supply (2). It is important to note that SCM data excludes certain products supplied directly by manufacturers or distributed via Third Party Logistics providers, meaning some aspects of the total private supply may not be fully represented.
GP recorded ADHD events are rising significantly, especially among adults. IQVIA’s Longitudinal Patient Data (LPD) data shows increasing instances where ADHD is noted in patient records, indicating growing clinical engagement. Over the past five years, GP recorded ADHD events have increased by 389% in females and 118% in males. Overall, adult ADHD events recorded in primary care have grown by 291%, compared to an 84% increase in children. The most pronounced growth is among women aged 31–49, where recorded events rose from 18,000 to 141,000, a 694% increase.(6)
A newly published study in the Lancet Regional Health Europe(8) shows a similar demographic pattern, reporting rapid growth in ADHD medication use among adults across Europe, with UK showing the greatest increase. The study was conducted within the DARWIN EU® network(9), a European real-world evidence initiative which also includes data from IQVIA’s European real world datasets. In the UK, between 2010-2023 the study reported that the prevalence of mediation use rose from 0.12% to 0.39%, and from 0.01% to 0.20%, a more than twenty-fold increase among women aged 25 and over. This trend highlights a major demographic shift, accelerating recognition and management of ADHD beyond childhood, and underscores the need for tailored strategies to meet evolving patient needs.
Treatment Efficacy and Prescribing Patterns & Promotional Activity
Recent studies from Oxford and Southampton (2024–2025) confirm the efficacy of stimulants (methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine) and atomoxetine in adult cohorts.(3) A Pulse report using NHSBSA data from Q4 2024 shows: 870,000 prescriptions issued (+8%) 248,000 patients treated (+6.1%) and NHS costs up 7.9%.(10)
This is aligned with IQVIA’s PBS data (ATC-3 N06B Psychostimulants only) that reveals that the UK ADHD treatment market has experienced significant growth over the past decade, with a CAGR of 11.6% (5).
Key prescribing trends:
- Methylphenidate remains the leading therapy, supported by NICE’s first-line recommendation and generic availability. However, its share has dropped from 85% to 67% over a decade, with multiple stockouts reported in the past year.
- Lisdexamfetamine is the fastest-growing molecule, with a 41% CAGR, driven by uptake among adults, for whom NICE recommends joint first-line positioning. Its share has grown from 1% in 2014 to 19% in 2024.
Promotional spend by pharmaceutical companies has grown from £4.9 million in July 2021 to £12.2 million in July 2025, a CAGR of 25.5%.(4) This reflects intensified competition and strategic investment in awareness and engagement.
Access Divide: NHS vs Private Sector
The NHS remains the primary channel for ADHD care, but systemic challenges, such as waiting times of up to eight years(11), fragmented adult services(12), and growing GP reluctance to prescribe due to liability concerns(13) are pushing patients toward alternative pathways. The 2025 NHS England’s Right to Choose (RTC) restrictions have further constrained access.(14) Designed to manage costs and rising demand, the policy caps the number of ADHD assessments providers can deliver, leading to rapidly exhausted capacity, longer waits, and significant regional variation in access. While the RTC pathway technically remains, these restrictions mean many patients now face delays of months or years and have far fewer practical options for NHS funded assessment.
In contrast, the private sector is expanding rapidly, driven by demand for faster assessments and continuity of care. This growth is reflected in the rising share of ADHD treatments delivered privately and the dominance of digital channels, with internet pharmacies now providing the majority of private supply. The UK market for private, self-funded prescription medicines is the fastest growing of the major European markets, as detailed in the IQVIA White Paper on the potential for private prescription medicines markets in Europe (15).
This dual-channel dynamic is reshaping the ADHD treatment ecosystem and creating opportunities for hybrid care models that combine NHS and private pathways.
Strategic Signals: NHS Taskforce and Reform
The 2025 interim report from the NHS England ADHD Taskforce highlights systemic under-treatment and estimates £17 billion in avoidable lifetime costs.(16) Key recommendations include:
- Digitised screening tools
- Community-based care hubs
- Policy reform to streamline access
These developments signal opportunities for life sciences organisations to support data-informed commissioning and collaborate on scalable, digital-first solutions. As demand accelerates, strategies must adapt to engage across both NHS and private pathways, ensuring resilience and equity in access.
IQVIA’s Market Intelligence Role in the ADHD Ecosystem
IQVIA’s Market Intelligence solutions deliver unparalleled visibility into both NHS and private care dynamics. Designed for the UK healthcare sector, these offerings integrate multiple data sources to provide a holistic view of prescribing, access, and policy trends. Key components include:
- PBS & HPA: Primary and secondary care dispensed data for market sizing and demand tracking
- SCM: Wholesaler data for supply chain visibility
- OneKey & Synmetrics (17): Detailed healthcare professional and organisation data for precise targeting and segmentation
- Healthcare Discovery Platform & UK Healthcare Insights(18): Public health and policy intelligence for modelling policy impact and system readiness
- IMRD(19), LPD & MDI (20): Primary care Real-World EMR data for real world evidence, prescribing patterns and patient journeys
Delivered through BI dashboards, custom reports, CRM integrations, and cloud applications, these solutions combine real-time prescribing, supply, and policy data to enable strategic decision-making and scalable innovation.
Key capabilities include:
- Forecast demand across NHS and private care channels using real-time prescribing and supply data
- Identify unmet need hotspots by mapping regional prescribing gaps and therapy access
- Evaluate treatment adoption trends and policy impact through longitudinal datasets and formulary tracking
- Support formulary decisions with hospital and community pharmacy audit data
- Shape reimbursement models using real-world evidence frameworks and health economics consulting
Conclusion: Shaping the Future of ADHD Care
As ADHD care transitions from fragmented services to a national priority, life sciences organisations must evolve strategies to meet rising demand, changing demography and shifting access models. Success will depend on agility, data-driven decision-making, and collaboration across public and private sectors.
IQVIA can support with integrated data, strategic consulting, and real-world evidence frameworks, empowering stakeholders to forecast demand, optimise pathways, and shape sustainable models, driving innovation for ADHD care that address the needs of patients, providers, and policymakers.
References
1. ADHD Management Information - May 2025 - NHS England Digital
2. IQVIA Supply Chain Manager (SCM)
3. Oxford study identifies the most effective treatments for ADHD in adults — Department of Psychiatry
4. IQVIA Channel Dynamics
5. IQVIA Prescription Based Services (PBS) and IQVIA Hospital Pharmacy Audit (HPA)
6. IQVIA Longitudinal Patient Data (LPD)
7. What Is ADHD? A Clear Guide for UK Adults - ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association
8. Trends in use of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medications among children and adults in five European countries, 2010 to 2023: a population-based observational study - The Lancet Regional Health – Europe
9. https://www.darwin-eu.org/
10. Further 8% increase in ADHD prescribing in last quarter of 2024 - Pulse Today and NHSBSA
11. https://psychiatry-uk.com/waiting-times-update/
12. Accessing ADHD Medication via your NHS GP: January 2025 Update
13. https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/news/changes-to-prescribing-of-adhd-medications-in-suffolk-and-north-east-essex/
14. Important Update for Parents & Teachers: Changes to NHS Right to Choose for ADHD Assessments - ADHD Embrace
15. iqvia-2025_the-potential-for-the-private-prescription-market-in-europe.pdf
16.NHS England » Report of the independent ADHD Taskforce: Part 1
17. OneKey and Synmetrics
18. IQVIA Health Discovery Platform
19. IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD)
20. IQVIA Medical Data Index (MDI)