Unfortunately, due to increasing pressures on the NHS we are no longer able to provide comprehensive NHS services for adults with a diagnosis of ADHD
National guidance set out by NICE, expects long term involvement of specialists (consultant psychiatrists) to review adults with ADHD and their medical treatment, at least annually.
This is currently not happening in Oxfordshire on the NHS. Consequently our practice, along with many others, has taken the difficult decision, that any new requests from specialists – both NHS and private, to prescribe ADHD medications for adult patients will be declined. Instead, patients will be directed to their specialist for these.
We will be making this clear to providers of ADHD service at the point we refer patients for a diagnostic assessment. The care of adults already receiving ADHD treatments remains under careful review.
Patients may wish to access the care they need outside of the NHS, for instance, seeking a referral to a private provider from the NHS GP or NHS specialist. We wish to make it clear, as your NHS GP, we will not be able to enter into ‘shared care’ arrangements with private providers, nor will we be able to perform investigations or monitoring requested by private clinics for this purpose.
We believe that patients should not be left without the specialist care they need due to a lack of comprehensive NHS funding and our Local Medical Committee representatives have raised this issue with local funding and decision making groups.
If you wish to raise this issue, you may want to contact the ‘planned care team’ at BOB ICB: [email protected]
You may also may want to raise this issue with your MP
ADHD NHS Adult referrals
Unfortunately local NHS services are under such extreme pressure, they have closed to new referrals. Unprecedented demand has outstripped its funded capacity.
Patients seeking a new referral to ADHD services for diagnosis and treatment of potential ADHD, may be eligible to choose from an alternative consultant psychiatrist led, approved provider under the NHS Right to Choose. They will need to demonstrate that their symptoms are severe enough to cause problems in their functioning and will need to complete and Adult ADHD Self Report Scale
Providers involved in this Right to Choose scheme, which have undergone some NHS quality assessment through NHS contracts include (but are not limited to):
- Psychiatry UK
- Skylight Psychiatry – closed to new referrals April 24
- Pscion