A new NHS taskforce will tackle the growing burden of ADHD amid waits of up to ten years for a diagnosis, officials say.
It will bring together health, education and justice experts to better understand the impact of the condition and improve care.
NHS England says an initial review identified issues with capacity, drug supply, a lack of reliable data and a postcode lottery across services.
A record number of Brits are believed to be seeking help after celebrities including model Katie Price and Love Island star Olivia Attwood shared their own experiences with ADHD.
Social media is also full of users telling how the medications helped them calm down, control their restlessness, and increase their concentration.
Sheridan Smith, 42, has revealed that she has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (pictured in 2023).
Fascinating graphs show how prescriptions for ADHD have increased over time, with patient demographics shifting from children to adults, with women in particular now driving the rise.
The World Health Organization defines attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that has a direct negative impact on academic, occupational, or social functioning.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that one in twenty children (5 percent) and one in 29 adults (3 to 4 percent) suffer from this condition.
But NHS England believes the real figure may be higher.
He says he can’t say how many people have a diagnosis or are awaiting evaluation because he doesn’t have a consistent and complete data set.
However, ADHD was the second most viewed health condition on the NHS website in 2023, after Covid-19, with 4.3 million page views during the year.
Former Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins (left) shared last year that she had been diagnosed and “suddenly everything made sense, to me and to those who love me”. Love Island’s Olivia Atwood (right) said her ADHD made her ‘constantly overwhelmed’
Last year, Johnny Vegas (left) admitted he was in the “early stages” of working with medication after being diagnosed with ADHD. Ben Fogle (right), who previously spoke out about being dyslexic, revealed this week that he was recently diagnosed with ADHD after a “recent mental health storm.”
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board warned in board documents last July of “exceptionally high waiting times” for ADHD assessment and treatment of “more than 10 years”.
And a separate survey from the same month showed that children in Coventry and Warwickshire wait an average of 142 weeks (almost three years) for all neurodiverse first appointments, which cover ADHD and autism.
Meanwhile, NHS data shows more than 230,000 people in England are taking medication to manage their condition, with prescriptions up 5 per cent in a year.
NHS England announced the launch of the ADHD Taskforce at its board meeting this afternoon, saying it hoped to improve data collection and delivery.
The members of the working group and its terms of reference will be published in the coming weeks and is expected to produce a report later this year.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said: “NHS staff across the country are working hard to ensure that all patients who require assessments and additional support from ADHD services are seen as soon as possible.
‘We have recognized that more needs to be done to ensure that people can get a timely diagnosis and, more importantly, that all their needs are met.
“This is tremendously complex work and this working group will need to consult a wide range of partners and experts to better understand the issues affecting people with ADHD and how service provision can be better combined to meet the needs of people today and in the future. the future.
“This is a vital first step in helping us achieve real improvements in ADHD services provided by the NHS and the independent sector.”
Henry Shelford, chief executive of ADHD UK, said he is welcoming the announcement, which he described as a “big deal”.
It said there are 2.6 million people with ADHD in the UK, with adult waiting lists ranging from 12 weeks to 10.5 years and children’s waiting lists from 5 weeks to 5 years.
Henry added: ‘We have a hope that we didn’t have and it’s wonderful.
‘Until very recently, NHS England didn’t even have a single individual responsible for ADHD, so announcing a taskforce is a glorious tectonic shift.
‘Waiting lists for ADHD care alter entire life trajectories. Lives are being ruined and lost in the current status quo.
“This task force represents the potential for crucially needed revolutionary change.”
Steve Russell, NHS England’s director of delivery, said: “Using the findings from the initial review, we will improve data collection to help us understand the scale of the challenge and work closely with the new cross-sector working group to improve pathways for patients. with ADHD.’
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “It is vital that people with ADHD not only receive timely assessment and diagnosis, but also the support they need to live a full life.”
‘We are already exploring options to improve data collection and reporting on assessment wait times, and this new working group is crucial to supporting this work and ensuring they receive faster, easier, and better care. fair
“A better understanding of the problems faced by people with ADHD will help us across government and the NHS tackle them, creating long-term solutions.”
Henry added: ‘We have a hope that we didn’t have and it’s wonderful.
‘Until very recently, NHS England didn’t even have a single individual responsible for ADHD, so announcing a task force is a glorious tectonic shift.
‘Waiting lists for ADHD care alter entire life trajectories. Lives are being ruined and lost in the current status quo.
“This task force represents the potential for crucially needed revolutionary change.”
Actress Sheridan Smith is among the latest in a series of celebrities to share her diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The 42-year-old, who rose to fame on The Royle Family as Antony’s girlfriend Emma, said Fashion that has helped him “make sense of many things” in his life and better understand the “background noise in his brain.”
Other celebrities who have been diagnosed with ADHD include Sue Perkins, Johnny Vegas and Ben Fogle.