Nearly 400,000 private prescriptions for ADHD medication were issued last year as patients sought to bypass lengthy NHS waiting lists, with people spending millions of pounds on treatment. Figures obtained by the BBC show the number of prescriptions for drugs rose from 28,439 in 2018-19 to 397,552 in 2023-24.
One family from West Yorkshire said they had chosen to remortgage their home to meet the costs, with research suggesting backlogs for ADHD assessments could take up to eight years to clear in some parts of the UK. The Department of Health and Social Care said it was working to “bring waiting lists under control”, adding that the NHS had recently launched an “ADHD taskforce” to help tackle the delays.
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour – making it harder to concentrate and manage time. Acting impulsively and taking risks can also be an issue and it is also associated with serious mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
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