ADHD funding shortages leave patients 'very worried'

Ellie Crabb said she was "very worried" about the future

Concerns have been raised that ADHD patients are being forced to stop taking their medication or pay to go private because of a lack of NHS funding for annual reviews in the Thames Valley.

Ellie Crabb, 27, from Abingdon, said she would run out of pills in December after her GP was unable to give her a repeat prescription.

A lack of annual reviews has led to some GP practices in the region to not accept requests for on-going prescriptions.

The NHS body responsible for commissioning services said different parts of the health service were working together to find sustainable solutions.

Specialist ADHD medications are stimulants that need to be regularly monitored in line with national guidelines, but no one is commissioned to carry out these annual reviews in the Thames Valley region.

Ellie Crabb was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 20

Ms Crabb, who is saving up to get married next spring, said she could not afford the £350 admin fee to attend a private clinic and was nervous that her three-month supply would soon run out.

"The idea of stopping, especially around Christmas, that just feels a bit unfair and I don't know what the toll will be on my body because I've been on these meds for five years now," she added.

Ms Crabb is currently saving to get married next spring

The 27-year-old said the medication had made a big difference to her life, allowing her to retain information, remain focused and able to meet deadlines at work.

She said her GP had explained that practices had previously held shared care agreements with specialist ADHD services - but many GPs were now withdrawing these because patients were not being regularly reviewed in clinic.

'Outrageous'

Dr Rachel Ward, a GP in Didcot, said it was a big problem at her practice, with staff taking calls about it every day.

"It's very difficult for patients, some really depend on it [ADHD medication] to function but we're not specialists and we can't act as one, it would be immoral and against our license."

She added that ADHD diagnostic services had ballooned in recent years and that BOB ICB had "underestimated demand for annual reviews of medication.

In July, the BBC revealed that the backlog of adult ADHD assessments in parts of the UK would take at least eight years to be cleared.

Oxford Health NHS Trust paused all new adult ADHD referrals for diagnostic assessments in February due to "unprecedented" demand.

NHS figures show the number of people in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) area receiving ADHD medication has increased from 2,499 in 2015 to 9,447 in 2024.

Henry Shelford, who is the CEO of charity ADHD UK, labelled the lack of annual reviews a "dereliction of duty" on behalf of BOB ICB.

"To provide treatment for a year then just drop people is absolutely outrageous," he added.

A spokesperson for BOB ICB said: “We recognise that demand for ADHD assessment and treatment has increased nationally and locally, putting pressure on many services.

"We understand the concerns and frustrations of local patients and we are working with our GPs and secondary care services to find a solution, but it will take time."

"If patients are facing particular difficulties, we would encourage them to get in touch with our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), details are available on the BOB ICB website and we will contact them directly to discuss their individual cases."