A record number of patients in England are now being prescribed medication for ADHD on the NHS, according to new figures, with prescriptions rising by around a third in the past year alone. Over the last decade, the number of people receiving these drugs has more than tripled, reflecting a marked and accelerating rise in ADHD diagnoses and treatment across the health service.

The sharp increase highlights growing recognition and diagnosis of ADHD, alongside mounting pressure on NHS services already grappling with lengthy assessment waiting lists. The scale of the rise, tripling in ten years and jumping by a third in just twelve months, underscores how demand for ADHD medication has surged far faster than in previous years, raising questions about NHS capacity to meet this need.