People in Manchester are facing waiting times of up to 18 months to receive ADHD medication due to a ‘significant demand’ for neurodevelopmental disorder services.
Will Belshah, 29, underwent an ADHD assessment with a private psychiatrist through medical insurance at his former workplace in 2021. Having moved house in the time since, he only recently approached his GP practice for a prescription at the start of the year.
But Will said doctors at Cornbrook Medical Practice, where he is a patient, told him there would be a wait ‘between 12-18 months’ to receive Xaggatin, a medicine used to treat ADHD. He says it has left him feeling ‘in limbo’ as he struggles without treatment.
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The NHS has since revealed to the M.E.N that more than 10,000 adults are currently on waiting lists for ADHD assessments just in Greater Manchester.
“I got a referral put through in January but there was a bit of confusion with it so I only recently got put back onto a 12-18 month waiting list even though I’ve done the referral and been diagnosed,” Will told the M.E.N.
“I’ve literally paid for services privately. If they want to privatise the NHS, at least make it work. I paid to have that done so it could get done quickly and so I could get access to the help that I need and it still didn’t work.
“I’ve done all the legwork - I’ve got the report done and the psychiatrist has prepared the treatment schedule. All I’m waiting for now is for the prescription to be signed off. I know it’s a controlled substance, but it has just got lost in a loop of referrals.”
Will said he lost his SEO job recently in part due to struggling without the correct medication for his ADHD. With the prospect of now waiting up to a year and a half to receive the medication, he says he fears he’ll just be in a ‘never ending circle’ until then.
“I failed my probation because I didn’t have access to what I needed,” Will says. “My place of work made adjustments for me but I just struggled without the support from the NHS that I need.
“It’s not their fault, they need someone who can do the job properly but the point was that if I got the medication, I would have been able to do the job.
“I know it’s not only me that’s going through this. Organisationally, this is really hard to keep on top of. I feel like I’m managing to do okay at the moment but it’s not always like that and other people are completely debilitated because of it.
“I want to work and I want to do my job well, but the system is making it hard for me to do so. I’m trying to access the things that will help me assimilate to the system but I can’t.”
Will said a recent Panorama investigation, which looked at three private clinics offering ADHD assessments and prescribing medication, had failed to paint a correct picture of the current status for those looking for treatment.
The ADHD Foundation, an organisation helping those affected by the condition, criticised the programme by describing it as a ‘poorly researched, sensationalist piece of television journalism’ which they said was ‘completely ignoring the broader context’.
In an official response to public concerns, the BBC said 'the programme’s findings have subsequently been supported by some of the UK’s leading experts', and was made 'clear about the fact that there are considerable problems getting an NHS assessment for ADHD'.
"Panorama’s research uncovered serious failings by some private clinics and we believe there was a clear public interest in broadcasting the findings," the BBC's response concluded.
Will said of the show: "It’s really frustrating seeing articles and stories that people are using the system to take advantage or suggesting it’s easy to fake. I’m trying to use the system legitimately and I can't even get it to work. I think it’s important that people know what’s actually really going on."
The ADHD Foundation said that they are aware that there are a number of medications that are in short supply for a range of health reasons. They said they 'share the concern of many people who are experiencing difficulty obtaining their medication prescriptions'.
Ethypharm, a company which supplies and produces the Xaggitin medication, confirmed to the M.E.N they had no supply issues with the tablets and ‘currently have stock of all strengths of Xaggitin XL (methylphenidate prolonged release tablets)’ in the UK.
Another organisation, ADHD UK, said it was recently hearing from patients who are facing a ‘second queue’ to access medication after assessments. Henry Shelford, CEO & co-founder, told the M.E.N he knew of one individual in Leicester who had waited three years for an NHS assessment to then face a two-year wait for medication.
The Mental Health Team at NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care (NHS GM) said that it was prioritising current ADHD services for adults to make sure patients ‘receive the best possible care and support possible’.
Professor Sandeep Ranote, Medical Executive Lead for NHS GM, told the M.E.N on behalf of the organisation and Cornbrook Medical Practice: “Demand for neurodevelopmental disorder services has significantly increased in recent years, with over 125,000 adults with autism waiting nationally for treatment.
“Demand for ADHD services is even greater, in part due to a significant increase in awareness, and has placed considerable pressure on healthcare systems across the country. Estimated prevalence of ADHD nationally is 2.2% and 2.5-4% of the children and young people, and adult population respectively.
“Waiting times for ADHD assessment services have increased significantly across the country and, despite additional resources being put into services, this stands at more than 10,000 adults in Greater Manchester.
“Our GP practices follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance when a patient presents with a potential neurodevelopmental disorder.
“NHS GM is committed to maximising the benefits of health integration to make sure that people with ADHD receive the best possible care and support, which includes accurate diagnosis in line with NICE guidance and post-diagnostic care. NHS GM has invested significant amounts of funding already to address ADHD long waits.
“These initiatives have made an impact in terms of the number of people seen but waits have still increased. This is why NHS GM has prioritised reviewing current ADHD services for its adult population by engaging with a number of health and care sectors in the process."
