BwithA / Carol Stott Phd

'IT'S A NATIONAL DISGRACE' Kevin Healey was diagnosed with ADHD after going to see a private psychologist in November 2023 – but policy means he has to be reassessed by an NHS doctor in order to access medication. Having been told he could be on the NHS waiting list for up to three years, Mr Healey went private as it was "quicker". The diagnosis took 20 hours of assessment over several weeks. He then planned to go to the NHS for treatment. But after being referred to his local ADHD unit, Mr Healey was told that he cannot receive medication via the NHS without being "reassessed" by one of the health service's doctors - which comes with a year-and-a-half wait. Describing the process as "barbaric", he told Sky News: "There's an official diagnosis so I don't know why I've got to go down the route of having a reassessment. In their letter, [the NHS] stated that my diagnosis could potentially be revoked if they felt that I didn't have ADHD." He said: "The medication is a controlled drug and needs to be prescribed by a psychiatrist. Then a person can learn to live functionally, function in society and lead a normal life." Addressing the wider situation, Mr Healey added: "I think it's a national disgrace. Parents, children, adults, families, at the end of their tether waiting for a diagnosis. "It's not just affecting me, it's affecting thousands of people across the UK. And why should we have to suffer in silence? We need government officials to act now." Source : credit Sky News news.sky.com/story/nhs-canno… #Autism #AutismAcceptanceWeek #ADHD