The 2025 ADHD Taskforce Report: What’s Good, What’s Missing, and What Comes Next
TL;DR:
The ADHD Taskforce Interim Report is a big step forward. It finally names the
scale of the crisis in ADHD support across the UK. But it’s still too focused on diagnosis and medication,
with barely a whisper about coaching, emotional fallout, or day-to-day support. We need more than labels.
We need lives that actually work.
This has been sitting in my pile for weeks.
I meant to write it the day it came out,
but typically, I opened the file, skimmed a few paragraphs, then remembered I hadn’t eaten, then my phone
pinged, and then it was three weeks later. So yeah, better late than never.
This post is my take on the Independent ADHD Taskforce Interim Report (Part 1). It’s not a summary. It’s what I really think about it—as someone late-diagnosed, someone who supports others, and someone who’s painfully familiar with the gaps this report finally names.
What the 2025 ADHD Taskforce interim report is (and isn’t)
It came out in April 2025, put together by NHS England, with input from professionals and people with lived experience. There are 12 “urgent priorities” covering everything from diagnosis and medication to education, work, and justice.
And to be clear—this kind of national acknowledgement is huge. ADHD has always been treated as a side issue, or worse, as something that didn’t exist. This report doesn’t just say it exists; it also says the system’s failing people. That’s progress.
But still. It left me frustrated. It names the problems, but doesn’t always say how to fix them. And it misses some of the things that actually help.
What it gets right
1. Diagnosis access is a mess—and they admit it
Finally. Someone official says what we’ve all been living. Getting diagnosed is an uphill battle. Referrals go missing. People get bounced between services. And unless you’ve got the language and time to fight for it, or the money to go private, you get left behind.
The report says that has to change. It calls for consistent, fair access. I agree.
2. Support shouldn’t be tied to diagnosis
This really matters. The idea that you only get help after you’re diagnosed is bonkers, and finally, they’re saying it out loud. People need support while they wait. Before they even realise they might be neurodivergent. After diagnosis. All of it.
3. Joined-up care and national leadership
No more “make it up as you go” depending on which postcode you’re in. The report calls for a proper strategy, leadership, accountability, and actual data. That’s essential if anything’s going to change.
4. Transition is still a disaster zone
They flagged the disaster that is moving from children’s services to adult services. Most people just drop off a cliff. This isn’t new, but it still happens everywhere. At least they’ve finally written it down.
5. Lived experience isn’t just a nice extra
There were actually neurodivergent people involved in creating this. You can tell in places. The language isn’t all clinical. There’s an attempt to capture the real-world impacts. That makes a difference.
But here’s what grated with me
This is where I wanted to throw my tablet across the room.
1. Still no mention of coaching
Not once. Nowhere.
And honestly, that’s ridiculous. Coaching is one of the most practical, supportive tools we have, especially for people who’ve been late-diagnosed and are trying to rebuild. It’s not a magic solution, but it helps people function. It helps them find their own way of living, knowing they aren't alone and that they aren't broken. That matters.
Why is that still invisible?
2. It’s still too medical
There’s so much about diagnosis and medication. Which yes—are important. But there’s barely anything about what happens after.
Where’s the support for the emotional fallout? The lost years? The grief? The identity crash after realising you’ve been misunderstood your whole life?
Where’s the recognition that functioning with ADHD isn’t just about taking a pill and cracking on?
3. The bits about school and work feel thin
It mentions exclusions and discrimination, sure. But it doesn’t lay out any real consequences or expectations for schools and employers.
What’s going to stop another kid getting kicked out because they can’t sit still in a silent room for two
hours?
What’s going to stop someone being told to “just try harder” in the workplace while masking
until they burn out?
Until that’s addressed properly, we’re not really fixing anything.
4. Support is mentioned—but never defined
The word “support” shows up all over the report. But what do they mean by that? Therapy? Coaching? Adjustments? Peer groups? No one knows.
It’s vague. And vagueness doesn’t lead to funding or action.
So… was it worth doing?
Yes.
Honestly, it’s the most promising thing we’ve had in years. It names the problem. It recognises the scale of the issue. It gives us something to point to and say, “Look, this is real.”
But it’s not enough.
Diagnosis is the start, not the fix. If the only door that opens after diagnosis leads to more confusion, no follow-up, and patchy access to meds, then what exactly are we celebrating?
We need the final report to go further. Coaching needs to be on the page. Practical support needs to be defined. The emotional toll needs to be taken seriously. And services need to be designed around actual lives and not just systems.
I’ll be watching closely when the next report drops. We’ve waited long enough for this to be taken seriously. Now it needs to mean something.
Have you read it? Did it land differently for you? I’m curious if I’m being too harsh, or not harsh enough.
Want to read it yourself?
You can download the full interim report here:
Read
the 2025 ADHD Taskforce Interim Report (Part 1) – PDF
It’s long, but worth skimming, especially if you’re waiting for a diagnosis, working in services, or just trying to understand why so many people are slipping through the cracks.
Let me know what you think if you read it.
Need support that actually helps?
If you're looking for practical, no-nonsense support that works with your brain (not against it), ADHD coaching might be what you need.
I offer real-world support, grounded in lived experience—no jargon, no judgement.
🔹 Find out more here: https://adhdaptive.org
🔹 Or book
a free intro call: Book
a chat
Let’s figure out what works for you.