South London and Maudsley introduces innovative digital solution to reduce ADHD waiting lists
South London and Maudsley will be one of the first mental health Trusts in the UK to pilot an AI-enabled platform designed to support ADHD assessment pathways.
NHS England insights found that in March 2025, up to 549,000 people were estimated to be on a waiting list for an ADHD assessment, with many waiting multiple years for their assessments.
By introducing the ThinkDivergent platform, it is estimated that we will save administrative time and streamline the diagnostic pathway. With this solution, the Trust could clear its backlog in less time than it would take to currently do so.
Due to the increased need to support people in the diagnosis process and the subsequent support clinicians can offer after diagnosis, South London and Maudsley are now working with ThinkDivergent, a digital platform built to simplify ADHD care pathways into a single, accessible platform for patients, clinicians and providers. The platform structures information gathering, streamlines assessments and generates clinical documentation, while keeping all clinical decisions firmly in the hands of clinicians.
Derek Tracy, Chief Medical Officer said: “This new way of working could potentially revolutionise how we work. The prevalence of ADHD and the need for tailored care and support is a huge topic and we’re thrilled to be at the forefront of innovation in this area. The pilot supports the work we do, it doesn’t take it over. We are still 100% responsible for the clinical decision making but with support on the administrative elements of the diagnoses process. The overall goal is always to ensure our patients are supported and we’re adopting new technologies to enable this.”
By using the platform, clinicians will experience a significant reduction in administrative burden before, during and after assessments, with report writing time reduced to just a few minutes. This will in turn enable us to offer more time to think, care and support our service users to ensure they are getting the best possible care from us.
Tom King, CEO at ThinkDivergent said: “Our platform is designed to make the assessment process more accessible and less overwhelming for patients, while supporting clinicians with the administrative workload that currently limits capacity.
As a neurodiverse team, we understand firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate the diagnostic journey. Receiving my own diagnosis as an adult transformed every aspect of my life, and it’s why I’m committed to ensuring others can access timely, compassionate and empowering care.
We spoke to patients and clinicians to understand their pain points, and we've built this platform for them. The diagnostic process as it stands isn't set up for how the ADHD brain works and it's also not set up to support the clinicians navigating overwhelming caseloads. So, we built a system that works with them, not against them.”
Following diagnosis, recommendations are selected by the clinician who will work closely with the individual to manage their symptoms and care plan. The platform will support the generation of structured clinical documentation and personalised patient communications using clear, accessible and neuro-affirmative language.
The pilot will run for 12 weeks, during which the Trust will evaluate its impact on clinical workflow, patient experience and service capacity.
