ADHD services shutting door to new NHS patients as demand soars, BBC finds

As a result of a BBC inquiry, specialist ADHD services for adults in England are no longer accepting new patients as they struggle to cope with demand. According to the BBC, 15 local areas have closed waiting lists and 31 have tighter deadlines, making it more difficult to find support. Prof Anita Thapar, chair of NHS England's ADHD taskforce, said the findings were disturbing, adding that patients' health risks were "enormous risks. It comes as she unveils her study into ADHD services in the state of Minnesota on Thursday, which recommends a complete overhaul of the way people are supported.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can influence the way the brain functions and can cause people to act impulsively and become easily distracted. According to the taskforce's study, it was being underdiagnosed and undertreated, and there has been a call for more joint-working across health, education, and the criminal justice system to help people with ADHD. To help people with ADHD, staff will need to get better trained and for community NHS workers, such as doctors and pharmacists, according to the government. Currently, specialist services take responsibility for this. It is estimated that it affects 5% of children and 3-4% of adults. Experts agree that getting a diagnosis and treatment, which may include medications and psychotherapy, can be life-changing. However, NHS data shows that if someone is on a waiting list, average waits for adults exceed eight years. A new BBC inquiry has revealed that a large number of places are now restricting access to those waiting lists. Following freedom of information requests, the BBC obtained details from 59 companies, which accounts for the majority of those providing assistance in England. The responses revealed: People referred to GP assistance in certain areas may choose to move to another NHS list or request private assistance, which would be a better alternative if their local NHS has stopped accepting new referrals. In addition, the BBC investigation found instances of innovation in those fields. Surrey, one of those is piloting a scheme to prepare a group of private GPs to perform assessments and treatment.

'I find daily life hard'

Louise Nichols, who suspects she has ADHD, is just one of the many people affected by the rationing. And when she was in primary school, she was still struggling. She was diagnosed with school anxiety and ended up being homeschooled for a while, but she has since found it difficult to remain in a career. The mother of one says it's frustrating to see everyone else doing, but she finds daily life difficult.

I need a way of assisting me in the most efficient way possible. She wonders whether it's drugs or if it'd help.

The 45-year-old lives in Derbyshire, but she was on the waiting list with the neighbouring Sheffield trust for two years because this area does not have its own service. However, she was kicked off the list in October last year because Sheffield stopped doing assessments for people outside of their boundaries, because it's impossible to keep up with demand. More than 3,000 people live in the county in the same household. She said it was really disappointing.

Patients at risk

Prof Thapar said the difficulties faced by people like Louise were unacceptable and demonstrated the historic neglect of ADHD by the NHS. There are serious risks, she said of the BBC's findings, which she described as

disturbing. It's not a trivial condition. People with ADHD can thrive with the right support, but there are

that can make people's lives much more difficult without that assistance. Mental health issues, opioid use, unemployment, and being in danger with the criminal justice system can all be included, she said. Services were being forced to make difficult decisions due to

in several regions of the country, according to Dr. Jessica Eccles, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

'Diagnosis transformed my life'

Patients who have received care report that it has changed their lives. Sam Stone is an example, but he had to fight to get assistance. The 33-year-old, who lives near Gloucester, paid for a private diagnosis on his health insurance, but his GP would not accept it, and he had to go back on an NHS waiting list to get it confirmed. He is furious at how complicated the process is.

I almost stopped worrying about it as a device, to be honest, because it seems that there are such a slew of routes that it almost sounds as if you're trying to hack the system. Sam said the illness has been life-changing. He had been on and off anti-depressants since the age of 16, but now he is on medication for ADHD. It was like having a cloud hanging over him, according to him.