There are such long backlogs for adult ADHD assessments in many areas of the UK that it would take at least eight years to clear them, according to a BBC investigation based on Freedom of Information requests. It appears that about half of the services have such long waits, based on the current speed at which patients are being seen. The focus of the investigation was on adults, and not children, and it suggests that there are approximately 196,000 adults on waiting lists across the UK. Rising demand, with referrals having increased fourfold since 2019, and limited capacity, with three trusts having closed their waiting lists completely, are causing the delays to ADHD diagnosis.
ADHD is a condition that affects people’s behaviour as it makes it harder for them to concentrate and manage time, while acting impulsively and taking risks can also be an issue. People are only diagnosed with the condition if the symptoms cause at least a moderate impact on their lives. ADHD is a treatable condition with medicine and therapy. The drugs, mostly stimulants, increase activity in the brain, mainly in the parts that control attention and behaviour, while therapy focuses on giving people the skills to live with the condition and build coping strategies.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has stated that no one should be made to wait years for life-changing care, and Thea Stein, chief executive of the health think tank the Nuffield Trust, has argued that thousands of people are in distress and waiting for care, so it is time for a radical solution. NHS England said it has launched an independent expert taskforce which will investigate the challenges facing ADHD services and help them manage the rising numbers of referrals. In the meantime, there is no clear solution.
The figures suggest that only Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North East London NHS Foundation Trust would take less than a year to see all the patients on their waiting list. Some 53 services gave data on the numbers waiting – meaning that the 196,000 on waiting lists is an underestimate of the total number across the UK. Among the trusts that responded to the requests, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Trust has a waiting list of more than 6,000 people and assessed only three patients last year
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