‘GRAVE concerns’ have been raised about the lack of provisions of assessment and treatment for people living with ADHD in the county and in the North.
Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Disability, Carers and Older People, Jemma Dolan, pictured right, feels that urgent attention must be given to enhancing services for people living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
In 2017, it was reported by ITV that over 40,000 people in the North had been diagnosed with ADHD. It’s now expected that the number of people diagnosed would have since increased.
After being contacted by a number of constituents in Fermanagh regarding the lack of services for people living with ADHD, the Sinn Féin MLA has contacted the Northern Ireland Minister for Health.
“I have written to the new [Northern Ireland] Health Minister Robin Swann to give this his immediate attention,” Ms Dolan told the Herald.
“The need for this service has grown expediently but the resources for this service, anywhere in the North, seem non-existent.”
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. It is more commonly diagnosed in children or people of a younger age.
The Fermanagh politician has revealed that the referrals from GPs for diagnosis and treatment of adults living with ADHD has ‘significantly increased’.
“It was brought to my attention in November 2023 that adult constituents had received communication that they had been removed from the ADHD waiting list,” said Ms Dolan.
“Upon raising this with the then Permanent Secretary of the Department for Health, Peter May, I was told that some preliminary work through the Adult Mental Health Group has been undertaken by clinicians to scope the potential demand and options for future service delivery and that this work requires further development, with any outcomes likely to require future additional investment.”
Due to the significant waiting lists and lack of treatment, many people have been forced to go down the routine of private healthcare for treatment for ADHD.
“It has been raised with me that there is now no adult ADHD referrals being done on the NHS in the North of Ireland and patients have been quoted as much as £1,000 for an assessment alone,” said Ms Dolan.
“There is limited assurance through the many private providers that the diagnostic assessment is equivalent to that conducted by HSC [Health and Social Care Northern Ireland].
“Therefore, if a constituent does manage to gather up £1,000 for a private diagnosis and requests onward referral for follow up, many Trusts are unable to accept those referrals.”
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