ADHD and autism assessment pathway
NHS Tayside has a population of 417,930 (mid-2025 estimate). Its CAMHS page says CAMHS "will not provide universal or standalone ND assessment where there is no significantly impairing mental health difficulty requiring specialist intervention".
NHS Tayside CAMHS does not provide standalone ADHD or autism (neurodevelopmental) assessment for children where there is no significantly impairing mental health difficulty requiring specialist intervention. In practice, this means children referred only for ADHD or autism, without a significant co-occurring mental health difficulty, are not assessed through CAMHS in Tayside. STV News reported the change in March 2025. The board's CAMHS page still stated this when we checked on 20 October 2026. If you are seeking an assessment, ask your GP about the current route. Source: NHS Tayside CAMHS page, "What can't CAMHS help with?".
Reviewed by ADHD Scot,
Waiting times: what our FOI found
These figures are from NHS Tayside's reply to our second FOI request, dated 26 October 2026 (ref IGTFOISA26718). Its first reply (10 August 2026, ref IGTFOISA26481) gave waiting-list counts for Dundee only. The second reply counts autism across the whole board, adds figures for Perth & Kinross and Angus, and says Dundee ADHD numbers can no longer be reliably reported. No median waiting times were given in either reply, and there is no CAMHS data.
The two replies count on different bases. In August, the autism figure (885) covered Dundee only; in October, the 1,083 covers Dundee, Perth & Kinross and Angus together, so the two are not a like-for-like change. Only the 1,083 carries a stated date (22 October 2026).
Dundee
Adult ADHD
Not held (Section 17) August 2026: 632 waiting for an ADHD-related appointment
The board says Dundee HSCP “is unable to reliably report ADHD data”, because referral systems “do not capture the clinical reason for referral”, and that it is reviewing all referrals on the CMHT waiting list. The longest wait on the CMHT ADHD list dates to a referral of 8 April 2021.
Perth & Kinross, and Angus
Perth & Kinross, ADHD
800 waiting for ADHD (no autism figure held)
Angus, neurodevelopmental
991 on the waiting list, plus 222 in the pathway
Angus by locality: South 458 waiting and 111 in the pathway, North West 262 and 72, North East 271 and 39. In August both partnerships said they held no separate figures.
Adult autism, Tayside-wide
Tayside Adult Autism Consultancy Team (TAACT)
1,083 awaiting an autism-only (ASC) assessment, at 22 Oct 2026
Includes people from Dundee, Perth & Kinross and Angus. The longest wait on the TAACT list dates to a referral in April 2022. August 2026 (Dundee only): 885 waiting for an autism-related appointment.
Children and young people (CAMHS)
ADHD and autism
No CAMHS ADHD or autism figures held
NHS Tayside has no ADHD- or autism-specific CAMHS pathway and does not hold the figures (Section 17). CAMHS does not provide standalone ADHD or autism assessment for children without a significantly impairing mental health difficulty requiring specialist intervention (see below).
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. NHS Tayside's FOI response says adults may receive autism diagnostic assessments in a range of settings, including community mental health teams and the Tayside Adult Autism Consultancy Team (TAACT). TAACT's guidance says "For Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, please refer to local CMHT", and asks referrers to make sure patients know it has "a lengthy wait for assessments".
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.
NHS Tayside could not give median waits in its FOI response. Contact NHS Tayside at nhstayside.scot.nhs.uk to confirm current provision and expected waits. The NHS Tayside CAMHS referral guide on Right Decisions says most CAMHS ADHD referrals should be made by the child's school.
What NHS Tayside's own referral guidance says
NHS Tayside publishes clinician-facing referral guidance on the NHS Scotland Right Decisions Service. It is written for professionals, not patients, but it documents the criteria referrals are actually judged against. Key points from the Tayside Adult Autism Consultancy Team (TAACT) entry (undated at the time of our review, September 2026). Tap a card for the full wording and links.
Who can referReferrals come from NHS and social care practitioners.
TAACT says "We accept referrals from NHS and Social Care Services", for people aged 18+ (16+ if no longer at school) registered with a Tayside GP.
Adult ADHDAdult ADHD assessment is not TAACT's job.
The guidance directs ADHD referrals to local community mental health teams instead — so if you are seeking an ADHD assessment, your GP's referral goes to adult mental health, not the autism team.
Diagnostic referralsEvidence of childhood onset and significant functional impairment.
Diagnostic referrals need evidence of childhood onset and significant functional impairment, and are not accepted for people who already hold an autism diagnosis.
ExclusionsIncluding intellectual disability and some primary presentations.
Stated exclusions include intellectual disability (the guidance uses an IQ threshold) and cases where the primary presentation is an eating disorder, personality disorder, psychosis or substance misuse.
WaitingThe guidance notes "a lengthy wait" for assessments.
The guidance itself notes "a lengthy wait" for assessments , and that the team cannot manage mental health risk for people on its waiting list — ongoing care stays with the referrer.
Children and young people (under 18)
NHS Tayside CAMHS does not provide standalone ADHD or autism assessment for children where there is no significantly impairing mental health difficulty requiring specialist intervention. In practice, children referred only for ADHD or autism, without a significant co-occurring mental health difficulty, are not assessed through CAMHS in Tayside. STV News reported the change in March 2025, and the board's CAMHS page still stated this when we checked on 20 October 2026. Families should ask their GP about the current route to an assessment.
STV News reported in March 2025 that the change did not apply to young people who had already had a letter of acceptance to CAMHS or the neurodevelopmental pathway. Confirm your child's position 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 whether the criteria have changed.
- Ask about support without a diagnosis. Schools have a legal duty to support children with additional needs regardless of diagnosis under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.
- Contact your child's school to discuss additional support. Support at school does not depend on a diagnosis: see our school support guide.
- Consider private assessment if waiting is not viable. See our compare tool for private providers in Scotland.
- 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.
Peer support in Tayside
The Dundee and Angus ADHD Support Group is based in Dundee, and the Scottish ADHD Coalition lists local groups on its map.
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 Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. No diagnosis is required. Ask your child's school about an individualised educational programme (IEP) or other support plan. These can be put in place while waiting for, or instead of, a formal assessment. For children with complex or multiple needs that are likely to last more than a year and need significant support from another service as well as education, such as the NHS or social work, you can ask the council to consider a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP), the only plan with legal force: see our school support guide.
Our compare tool lists private assessment providers in Scotland, with filters including how the assessment is delivered (in person or online), HIS registration and cost.
Sources (9)
- 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
- Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004
- FOI response IGTFOISA26718, NHS Tayside, 26 October 2026, provided in response to a request from ADHD Scot
- FOI response IGTFOISA26481, NHS Tayside, 10 August 2026, provided in response to a request from ADHD Scot