Accessing ADHD Medication via your NHS GP: January 2025 Update
Posted on 9th January 2025
On 7th January 2025, the BBC Radio 4 consumer programme You and Yours, broadcast an item on ADHD medication and “Shared Care Agreements” with GPs. The programme highlighted that NHS waiting lists for an Adult ADHD Assessment are now several years long in most areas.
As a result of these long waiting lists for NHS assessment, it is estimated that about 20% of the adults in the UK who are seeking assessment opt to have a private ADHD Assessment and, if they receive an ADHD diagnosis, a private medication assessment. Once the medication is working well and has been optimised, then most individuals want to be transferred to the care of their GP so that they can access their ADHD medication via the NHS. However, in order for this to happen, there has to be what is called a “Shared Care Agreement” (SCA) between the private specialist prescriber and the person’s GP.
Research by the charity ADHD UK conducted in March 2024, highlighted that in Wales, 70% of GPs are now not willing to enter into SCAs with a private ADHD prescriber, in Scotland it is 60% of GPs and in England 50% of GPs will now not enter into SCAs to prescribe ADHD medication on the NHS following a private ADHD medication assessment. Henry Shelford, the CEO of ADHD UK, commented on You and Yours, that the reports they have had from people with ADHD contacting the charity, is that the number of GPs who are refusing to enter into shared care agreements has increased significantly since March.
On You and Yours, 2 people with ADHD were interviewed, one was Daley, a Metropolitan police detective and the other was Barney, a 17 year old student. Daley reported that his GP practice had texted him to say that they were no longer willing to prescribe his ADHD medication and Barney said that he had changed GP and his new GP practice was not willing to enter into a SCA.
GPs refusing to enter into shared care agreements
Dr Rachel Ali, a GP representing the British Medical Association (the trade union for doctors), explained that GPs were refusing to enter into shared care agreements because GPs could not cope with their current workload and with being “a dumping ground” for other failing NHS services – such as those which provide ADHD Assessment.
She said that the BMA is therefore advising GPs not to do “discretionary work” and therefore not to enter into SCAs for ADHD medication because they are not being funded to do this work.
It is clear that GPs are under huge pressure at present and it is completely understandable that they do not want to “take up the slack” for other failing areas of the NHS. However, stopping current NHS prescriptions for ADHD patients seems unethical and uncaring, and in some instances, creates significant risk in terms of the mental health of vulnerable individuals.
Dr Ali said that GPs were not “withdrawing care” but were refusing to enter into new SCAs. However, this was challenged by Winifred Robinson, the presenter of You and Yours, because Barney had said his medication was withdrawn by his GP and Henry Shelford, the CEO of ADHD UK, said that many people had contacted ADHD UK in the last few months because their GPs had withdrawn their medication.
Sudden withdrawal of medication
I have also had people contact me when their GP had been prescribing their NHS medication following private assessment, sometimes for years, and this had been stopped at short notice, without the person being offered a consultation appointment with a doctor, with little notice and with no plan in place of how they were to cope with the sudden withdrawal of medication.
This had understandably caused huge distress to these people and significant difficulties for them in reducing their level of functioning. Barney, the student interviewed on You and Yours, said that not being able to access medication via his GP was “really frustrating”. He said that the medication, “helps me with my ADHD. When I’m studying, it allows me to focus and helps me concentrate. Without it, it’s much harder for me and I’m not doing as well now as I was when I was on it”. Daley, the police officer, said that medication “changed my life for the better”. He said that he also has a diagnosis of anxiety, and having the ADHD medication suddenly stopped, caused him massive anxiety.
Henry Shelford said that NHS England has an ADHD Task Force working at present and there is a 10-Year Plan for the NHS which is also due to report within the next few months. He said that both these major initiatives are expected to change the current highly problematic situation regarding ADHD medication.
Image used with permission of Henry Shelford and ADHD UK
ADHD Adult Assessment
Contact me to discuss the implications of SCA for ADHD Assessment or to book ADHD Therapy
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