ADHD Diagnostic Services Update

You may be aware of the recent news stories regarding private ADHD diagnostic services that have been springing up. We’re sure many of you will share our concern about what has been found.

Like many GP surgeries, we have now taken the decision not to accept new diagnoses which are based on a private assessment. Until further notice, we will therefore not be able to start an NHS prescription for ADHD medication unless the diagnosis was made under NHS funding.

The local NHS ICB (Integrated Care Board) is compiling a list of “trusted providers,” which we hope to receive by the end of 2023. The providers on this list will have been found to be providing a sufficiently thorough assessment for ADHD, undertaken by professionals with the necessary qualifications and experience.

In the last couple of years, the surge in demand for ADHD assessment has led to very long NHS waits for assessment. We understand that this is frustrating for patients, however we STRONGLY DISCOURAGE any patients from seeking a private diagnosis of ADHD at this time.

Once we have received the Trusted Provider list we will only be able to provide NHS prescription if the patient is under an NHS-certified “shared care” agreement with the private provider. This is because ADHD medication is a specialist medication which GPs cannot continue independently. The shared care agreement requires the patient to have yearly reviews with the private clinic which they will need to fund.

We understand that the steps we are taking may be disappointing for some patients and we’re sorry for this. However, we believe they are necessary to ensure that ADHD is assessed and treated safely.

Here are the links to the recent stories:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65534448

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001m0f9/panorama-private-adhd-clinics-exposed