ADHD and autism assessment pathway
NHS Tayside serves around 416,000 people. Tayside is facing a serious crisis in children's neurodevelopmental services that directly affects families seeking an ADHD or autism assessment.
NHS Tayside CAMHS stopped accepting new neurodevelopmental referrals in March 2025. Children and young people cannot currently be added to the NHS waiting list for ADHD or autism assessment through CAMHS in Tayside. Around 4,500 children were already waiting at that point. Confirm the current position with your GP — this situation may have changed.
Getting assessed as an adult
The adult ADHD and autism referral pathway in NHS Tayside for people aged 18 and over operates separately from CAMHS. Adults should still be able to access referrals through their GP, though waiting times are lengthy.
Bring specific examples of how your symptoms affect daily life. Mention that difficulties have been present since childhood. Ask your GP directly: "Is there an adult ADHD or autism assessment pathway currently open in Tayside?"
A completed ADHD screener or autism screener can support the conversation.
Your GP refers you to NHS Tayside adult mental health services. Confirm with your GP which service they are referring you to and ask for a written record of when the referral was sent.
Waiting times in Tayside are long. Contact NHS Tayside at nhstayside.scot.nhs.uk to confirm current provision and expected waits. The NHS Tayside CAMHS referral guide on Right Decisions documents the previous referral criteria.
Children and young people (under 18)
As of March 2025, CAMHS in NHS Tayside stopped accepting new neurodevelopmental referrals. This means the NHS pathway for new children's assessments in Tayside is currently not open. Families are strongly advised to confirm the current position with their GP.
If your child is already on the NHS Tayside waiting list, they should retain their place. Confirm this with your GP or directly with CAMHS Tayside.
What families can do now
- Ask your GP to confirm whether any referral route remains open, and ask to be notified immediately if the suspension is lifted.
- Ask about support without a diagnosis. Schools have a legal duty to support children with additional needs regardless of diagnosis under the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004.
- Contact your child's school to discuss additional support. Schools can request help from their local authority's learning support team without waiting for a diagnosis.
- Consider private assessment if waiting is not viable. See our compare tool for providers operating in and around Tayside and Dundee.
- Contact your MSP. Your MSP can raise the issue with NHS Tayside and the Scottish Government on your behalf. Use Find your MSP at parliament.scot.
While you wait — support and resources
You do not need a formal diagnosis to access most of the following. Given the current service disruption, these routes are especially important for families in Tayside.
Peer support in Tayside
Dundee and Angus has its own ADHD support group, and the Scottish ADHD Coalition lists additional local groups across the Tayside area — no diagnosis is needed to attend.
NHS Tayside resources
Scotland-wide support organisations
Your child's school rights — no diagnosis needed
Schools in Scotland are required to support children with additional needs under the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004. No diagnosis is required. Ask your child's school about a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP) or Individual Education Programme — these can be put in place while waiting for, or instead of, a formal assessment.
Private assessment is available from providers in and around Tayside and Dundee, and some providers offer remote assessment across Scotland. Our compare tool lets you filter by location, HIS registration, cost, and shared care support.
Sources
- NAIT — Children's Neurodevelopmental Pathway Practice Framework (Scottish Government funded), May 2021
- Scottish Government — National Neurodevelopmental Specification: principles and standards of care for children and young people, 2021
- Health, Social Care and Sport Committee — ADHD and autism pathways and support, January 2026
- Scottish Parliament Research Briefing SB 25-25: Neurodevelopmental Pathways and Waiting Times in Scotland, June 2025
- Right Decisions — NHS Tayside CAMHS ADHD and ADD referral guide
- NHS Tayside — nhstayside.scot.nhs.uk
- Scottish Parliament — Find your MSP
- Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004