ADHD and autism assessment pathway
NHS Orkney is Scotland's smallest territorial health board, covering the Orkney Islands and serving around 22,000 people. The neurodevelopmental assessment pathway is not clearly documented in publicly available NHS Orkney materials.
NHS Orkney responded to our Freedom of Information request on 11 August 2026 (ref 202627-138). It runs a single neurodevelopmental service that assesses ADHD and autism together and could not give median waiting times, but it reported about 139 adults and 25 under-18s on its assessment waiting lists. See what the FOI found below, or our Scotland waiting times page to compare boards.
Reviewed by ADHD Scot,
Getting your child assessed
Children and young people in Orkney who may have ADHD, autism, or other neurodevelopmental conditions are referred to NHS Orkney's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The 2021 Scottish Government NAIT report confirmed that NHS Orkney has a child autism assessment pathway in place. The detailed steps of that pathway are not set out in publicly available documentation.
A concern about a child's neurodevelopment can be raised by parents, carers, a GP, health visitor, guidance teacher, or other professional. Referrals to NHS Orkney CAMHS are accepted from GPs, guidance teachers, and social workers.
A GP, guidance teacher, or social worker submits a referral to the NHS Orkney CAMHS team. Families can also contact CAMHS directly to discuss concerns before a formal referral is made.
Phone: 01856 888950 · Email: ork.camhs@nhs.scot
Address: Mental Health Services, Vaenta, Scapa Crescent, Kirkwall, KW15 1RL
NHS Orkney CAMHS operates as a multidisciplinary team that includes a consultant psychiatrist, psychologist, community mental health nurses, and an occupational therapist. The team triages referrals and allocates them to the most appropriate worker.
Our FOI response (August 2026) found 25 children and young people on the CAMHS neurodevelopmental assessment waiting list. NHS Orkney could not give a median waiting time, and there is no separate paediatric neurodevelopmental service. Contact CAMHS or your GP to ask about current waits and what support is available while you wait.
Scotland's national standards state that children's support should be based on need, not on having a formal diagnosis. Ask CAMHS or your child's school what support can be put in place while you are waiting for assessment.
Getting assessed as an adult
The adult neurodevelopmental assessment pathway in NHS Orkney is not clearly documented publicly. A 2021 Scottish Government report found that island health boards, including Orkney, did not have standalone adult neurodevelopmental pathways and relied on agreements with mainland NHS boards to provide access to assessment services. NHS Orkney has a Community Learning Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder Nursing Service, which accepts open referrals. Adults seeking ADHD or autism assessment should speak to their GP in the first instance.
Request a referral for ADHD or autism assessment. Be specific about your symptoms and how they affect daily life, and note that difficulties have been present since childhood. A completed ADHD screener or autism screener can support your conversation.
Your GP refers you to NHS Orkney's Community Mental Health Team or the Community Learning Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder Nursing Service. Ask your GP which service they are referring you to and ask for a written record of when the referral was sent.
Community Mental Health Team phone: 01856 888280 · Email: ork.cmht@nhs.scot
Our FOI response (August 2026) found about 139 adults on the combined ADHD and autism assessment waiting list, and that in August 2026 the service was assessing people referred in November 2024, roughly 21 months earlier. NHS Orkney could not give a median waiting time. Some adult assessments for Orkney residents may be provided via arrangements with mainland NHS services, depending on the nature of the referral. Confirm this with your GP.
Waiting times: what our FOI found
NHS Orkney responded to a Freedom of Information request from ADHD Scot on 11 August 2026 (ref 202627-138). The board runs a single neurodevelopmental service that assesses ADHD and autism together, so it could not separate the two conditions, and it gave no median waiting times.
NHS Orkney assesses ADHD and autism through one combined neurodevelopmental pathway, so the figures below cover both conditions together and cannot be split. The board said waiting times depend on individual clinical need, referral complexity and capacity, so it could not provide a median wait.
Adults
Combined ADHD and autism assessment. These are waiting-list headcounts, not typical waits.
Children and young people (CAMHS)
There is no separate paediatric neurodevelopmental service. The CAMHS pathway covers children already open to CAMHS with complex mental health needs who are awaiting a combined ND assessment, so an ADHD-only figure could not be given.
While you wait, support and resources
You do not need a formal diagnosis to access most of the following resources. Support is available now.
NHS Orkney mental health services
Local autism support in Orkney
Scottish Autism has a local service in Kirkwall providing support for autistic adults. Autism Triage Orkney maintains a directory of services and resources for the autistic community in Orkney.
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 assessment.
If the wait for adult assessment is too long, our compare tool lists providers across Scotland with filters for HIS registration, cost, and shared care support. Many providers offer remote assessment which may be suitable for those living in Orkney. Our shared care guide explains what happens after a private diagnosis.
References
- NHS Orkney, About Us, ohb.scot.nhs.uk
- NHS Orkney, Mental Health Services, including CAMHS and Community Learning Disability and ASD Nursing Service
- Enquire, NHS Orkney Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) directory entry
- Scottish Government, NAIT Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways Report, Appendix 2: Summary of NHS neurodevelopmental, autism and ADHD pathways, 2021
- 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
- Voluntary Action Orkney directory, Scottish Autism (Orkney)
- Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004