13 hours agoShareSaveVicki Loader, Nick Triggle & Catherine BurnsBBC NewsShareSaveBBCSpecialist ADHD services for adults in England are stopping taking on new patients as they struggle to cope with demand, a BBC investigation has shown.The BBC has identified 15 local areas that have closed waiting lists and another 31 that have introduced tighter criteria, making it more difficult to access support.Reacting to our investigation, Prof Anita Thapar, chair of NHS England’s ADHD taskforce, said the findings were “disturbing”, adding there were “enormous risks” for patients.It comes as she publishes her report into the state of ADHD services on Thursday, which recommends an overhaul of the way people are supported.ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – affects the way the brain works and can cause people to act impulsively and become easily distracted.The taskforce report said it was being under-diagnosed and under-treated and calls for more joint-working across health, education and the criminal justice system to identify people with ADHD.It said this would require staff to get training and for community NHS staff, such as GPs and pharmacists, to get more involved in supporting people with ADHD. Currently, specialist services take responsibility for this.It is thought to affect 5% of children and 3-4% of adults.Getting a diagnosis and treatment, which can include medication and psychological therapy, can be life-changing, experts say.But NHS data already shows average waits of eight years for adults once someone is on a waiting list.And now a BBC investigation has found a significant number of areas are restricting access to those waiting lists.The BBC received information from 59 services, which accounts for the majority of those providing support in England, after submitting freedom of information requests. The responses showed: 15 trusts had halted all or part of their referrals – some cover large areas and have closed their waiting lists to just some placesIn Cheshire, the service for adults has been closed to new patients since 2019Of the remaining trusts, 31 were rationing care by bringing in exclusions, such as by age or severityIn one region, Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, is being threatened with legal action for restricting adult assessments to people under 25 onlyIn some areas, people referred for support by GPs can use something called ‘right to choose’ to go onto another NHS list or ask for private support, which would provide an alternative option if their local NHS has stopped taking on new referrals.The BBC investigation also found examples of areas that are innovating. One of those is Surrey where the local service, which has 11,000 adults on its waiting list, is piloting a scheme to train a group of private GPs to carry out assessments and treatment.’I find daily life hard’Louise Nichols, who suspects she has ADHD, is just one of many people affected by the rationing. Even when she was at primary school she struggled. She was diagnosed with school phobia and ended up being home schooled for a while, and has since found it hard to stay in a job.The mother-of-one says it is frustrating to see everyone else managing, while she finds daily life hard. “I need a way of helping me function to the best of my abilities. Whether that’s medication or whether that’s support,” she says.”I’m hoping to get a part-time job. I want to be part of my community.”The 45-year-old lives in Derbyshire, but as this area does not have its own service, she was on the waiting list with the neighbouring Sheffield trust for two years.But she was taken off that list in October last year because Sheffield stopped doing assessments for people who live outside their bor …
