ADHD: A ‘dreadful’ situation for adults who are waiting to be diagnosed in NI
Adults seeking assessments for attention deficit disorder in Northern Ireland ( ADHD ) are forced to pay private fees due to a severe lack of referral services, according to a charity.
Some health trusts cannot accept new referrals for adult assessment and diagnosis.
ADHD charities have said that a lack of services, or even long waiting lists, has forced people to pay for private diagnoses.
ADDNI Said people are taking loans.
Sarah Salters, chief executive of the charity, said that some patients who receive a remote diagnosis cannot get their medication through their GP.
Mark Bonello, 50 years old, lives in Ballymoney in County Antrim. He told BBC News NI he had paid for a private evaluation but that not everyone could afford it.
He added, “It is so sad that there are no adult support groups.”
Causeway Neurodiversity is a charity based on the north coast that has been contacted by many people who cannot get a diagnosis.
The Department of Health stated that officials are “considering longer-term arrangements” regarding ADHD services. Future decisions will “likely be subject to Ministerial approval and the availability of funding.”
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a condition of the brain that can lead to memory problems, difficulties concentrating or focusing, and difficulty sitting still.
A delayed diagnosis may adversely affect careers and relationships and increase the risk for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
The UK-wide ADHD Foundation reported that it had seen an increase of 400% in adults coming to them as compared to the period before the Covid-19 epidemic.
BBC News NI questioned the five health trusts in Northern Ireland about their services available to adults with ADHD.
The Northern Trust reported that the number of referrals citing adult ADHD as an issue presented by patients had increased from year to year.
A response given in October at the Northern Ireland Assembly revealed that the trust provided support but was not taking new referrals. Instead, it held a list of those who were referred.
The trust has told BBC News NI. However, that work will start on a local service in April to engage patients referred to the service beginning in November 2021.
The Southern Trust currently does not provide a service for diagnosing ADHD. In October, a reply to an assembly question stated that the trust needed to be adequately resourced to provide personnel support and assessment.
BBC News NI saw a letter sent to patients in February by the trust, which stated that it was working on a finalized proposal to fund an ADHD service.
Currently, other health trusts provide some adult diagnostic services.
- First adult assessments are at least three years away for the Belfast Trust.
- The waiting time at the South Eastern Trust for a diagnostic evaluation has been “multiple years.”
- Western Trust refers patients to a mental health assessment offered in a maximum of nine weeks.
What happens after you receive a diagnosis
Mark Bonello describes his diagnosis as “a huge relief.”
The artist, HGV driver, and his family live in Northern Trust with their two daughters and wife. He said he has always had trouble paying attention and was labeled disruptive.
He added, “You can spend your entire life asking questions and suddenly you have the answer. But there is no service.”
Art was the only subject that “held my attention” at school, according to Mr Bonello.
“I knew that I was intelligent, but I wondered how I could have done so badly.”
He understood his diagnosis after listening to Nicky Campbell on BBC 5Live.
It was tick, tick, tick. “It was just tick, scratch, scratch.”
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Mr. Bonello’s GP told him a diagnosis on the NHS was impossible.
“I was told, ‘Sorry. No treatment is available for adults. You’ll need to go private.
After waiting for three months to get a remote diagnosis, he was evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD.
“People always speak about the grieving process when you receive a diagnosis, but I felt that I had already gone through it. I was happy,” said he.
Talking to people who have ADHD was the most helpful thing for him.
She explained, “We receive a lot of calls. We don’t know where else to send them except the private route.”
She added that people were taking out loans for assessments because of the long waiting list in Northern Ireland.
Self-diagnosis Warning
Ms. Salters says that some adults may only realize they have ADHD after their child is diagnosed, and they notice similarities.
Platforms such as TikTok have been reported to be a significant factor in raising awareness about the condition.
Ms. Salters, however, said that although awareness is a good thing, the diagnosis should only come from a health professional.
She said, “It is not a good idea to diagnose yourself on social media.”
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Some people with ADHD want to take medication in addition to treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Many of our adult patients feel cheated. “They get a confirmed diagnosis then are frustrated that they can’t get the help that they need,” she added.
The Department of Health has announced that private healthcare providers must sign shared care agreements with GPs to supervise the prescription of “red-amber list” specialist medications.
ADHD medications fall into the red-amber category.
If a doctor does not accept a shared-care agreement, the patient must wait until a specialist is referred or pay private health insurance for prescriptions.
The department stated that it would be unusual or unheard of for a GP, in the absence of a shared care agreement, to prescribe a specific amber drug at the request of a private provider.
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The ADHD Foundation stated that medication is just one of many strategies available, and people should not solely rely on drugs to manage ADHD.
