Recently it has come to light that I may have been suffering from adhd symptoms for most of my life. I’ve never even thought about having adhd as I just assumed the symptoms were different to mine. But upon completing an online assessment tool, and most of the questions being basically me, I feel like I now need answers and understanding, as this could have serious contributing factors to a situation that I am now currently in.
To cut a story short I sent a referral letter and questionnaire through to my gp surgery, through the right to choose scheme. This triggered a response from them, as follows…
Thank you for your request for a right to choose referral for neurodiversity services. I need to let you know that in the Thames Valley there are a new set of access criteria. What this means is GP’s will only be able to to refer via right to choose if all the criteria are positive. It is quite explicit. It says that ADHD services will only accept clients who meet criteria 1,2,3 and 4 and one of criteria 5.
With regard to our practice, I draw your attention to criteria 2. It says that a GP within the thames Valley ICB who is willing to engage in shared care. I need to let you know that within this practice we are not involved in the shared care management of ADHD and what that namely means is the prescribing of medication. Because we are not involved in this if you wish to pursue a diagnosis for ADHD you will need to find an alternative surgery within the area that dies. I am sorry to inform you of this but this is a situation that has been in place for some time.
So, basically from this I assume my surgery has no interest in making the referral and that my only options from here are changing surgeries or going private?
Anybody here any experience of this and can assist with what i can do moving forward.
Thanks for reaching out. This is a very tricky situation that has become common throughout the country. With ADHD services being over stretched, many GP’s have begun refusing shared care.
This is frustrating to say the least.
Let me start by explaining a little bit about the process. Shared care is an agreement between the GP and psychiatrist about ADHD medication. After diagnosis, the psychiatrist will carry out a process called titration. This is where the psychiatrist will try you on different forms of medication, whilst monitoring your progress. Once the titration is over, the psychiatrist will then hand your prescription over to the GP in the form of shared care. Unfortunately, GP`s aren’t required to accept this agreement.
Its worth considering wither or not you want to go down the medication route if diagnosed. A formal diagnosis is the only way to access medication. If you chose not to take medication, there is support you can access without a diagnosis. For example, ADHD UK have daily support groups, drop-in advice clinics and educational workshops. None of which require a formal diagnosis. You also don’t need a formal diagnosis to get protections from the equality act, request reasonable adjustments at work or apply for access to work.
Should you wish to explore the medication route, then a diagnosis is necessary, and my advice is as follows:
· Contact all of the other GPs in the area and ask if they accept shared care
· Look for a right to choose provider that is on the NHS approved list
Excuse my ignorance. If I get a diagnosis privately, do I then have to go on medication, or can I choose what options are best for me?
I only ask because I want to know if this is something I have suffered with unknowingly for so long, and if this is one of the reasonswhy I’ve ended up where I am right now. I’m after some sort of understanding! If i don’t get a diagnosis I feel like I’m stuck in a limbo of unknowns.
