Demand for private ADHD assessments is soaring in England as the scale of referrals overwhelms the public health system.
The Chelsea Psychology Clinic in London says it has seen demand for adult attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder assessments grow by 50% over the last year.
Many publicly-funded adult ADHD services are small and have struggled to meet an historic surge in demand for assessments.
Patients currently face waits of up to a decade at some of the most overwhelmed centers as health leaders figure out how to expand services.
Private sector clinics can offer a faster an alternative for those with the means to pay for their own assessment, without which they may struggle to access treatment.
Why Is Demand So High?
Growing awareness of ADHD among adults is thought to be fuelling demand for assessments — referrals for which have increased fourfold since before the pandemic, according to the BBC.
Although the condition is usually present from childhood, many adults are only now becoming familiar with the symptoms.
“Awareness of neurodiversity has risen at a rapid pace, and many adults are now seeking late diagnoses after realising how their life has been unknowingly impacted by ADHD or autism spectrum condition,” said consultant psychologist Dr Elena Touroni, who co-founded the Chelsea Psychology Clinic.
Psychiatrists and ADHD coaches at the clinic think social media videos have raised awarness of what it’s like to have the condition.
“There is also much more sensitivity and empathy for people with ADHD and ASC, which is encouraging more people to seek a diagnosis, followed by medication, coaching or psychological therapy,” Dr Touroni said in an emailed statement.
“Without a formal diagnosis, it’s tough to access the treatments and support that can help manage the symptoms, but unfortunately NHS bottlenecks caused by increased demand and limited capacity means waiting lists have grown significantly.”
‘Impossibly Long’ Waits
Many specialist services run by the country’s National Health Service have relatively small numbers of staff, leaving them easily overwhelmed by the surge in demand.
Some providers have had to pause referrals while they try to bolster services and get on top of their now-enormous backlogs.
Earlier this month, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust became the latest public provider to put referrals on hold while it addresses an “impossibly long waiting list.”
“The service currently has a waiting list of around 4,500 people and receives around 170 referrals per month,” the trust wrote in a statement. “It is currently resourced to see and assess around 16 people per month. This means the number of referrals it receives is over 10 times the number it can realistically see.
“The waiting list will just continue to grow if action is not taken. For example, if someone was to join the waiting list today, it would take well over 10 years for them to be seen.”
‘Hugely Complex’ Work Needed
Getting the right care doesn’t end at diagnosis, and private clinics have also seen major growth in demand for medication reviews as public services struggle to cope.
The Chelsea Psychology Clinic says it’s seen an increase of 473% in demand for medication reviews for people who are already diagnosed with ADHD.
A global shortage of some ADHD drugs is making the situation even more difficult for many patients — both adults and children.
In March, the public health service announced it was launching a cross-government taskforce to review and improve ADHD care.
“This is a hugely complex piece of work,” NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said at the time. “This taskforce will need to consult a wide range of partner and experts to understand more about the issues impacting those with ADHD and how service provision can be better joined up to meet people’s needs today and in the future,”
It’s “a vital first step in helping us achieve real improvements in the ADHD services that the NHS and the independent sector provides,” she added.
