Record numbers in England taking ADHD medication, NHS data shows

Increase of 18% in a year attributed to more diagnoses, especially among younger women

A record number of people in England are taking medication used to treat ADHD, data shows, underlining a surge in the number of diagnoses.

Almost 278,000 patients in England were prescribed central nervous system stimulants (CNS) and drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between April 2023 and March 2024, latest NHS Business Services Authority data shows.