Proposals to limit the number of patients formally diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been criticised as "rationing" healthcare. These comments come ahead of a government review, due next week, which is expected to recommend that patients with ADHD symptoms should be "triaged" and offered support without necessarily receiving a formal diagnosis.
The "needs-based" system, reportedly detailed in the Times, would direct NHS services towards individuals most severely affected by ADHD, such as those at risk of self-harm or unable to work. Less severely affected people may be offered help based on a "holistic" assessment of their needs, rather than being referred for a formal diagnosis to NHS clinics.
The independent review, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was commissioned in December by the then health secretary, Wes Streeting. It concluded that the current system often requires a formal diagnosis to access support. Official figures indicate 800,000 people are on NHS waiting lists for assessment, with complaints about autism and ADHD services in England tripling in five years.
Henry Shelford, chief executive of ADHD UK, stated the review proposes "rationing" and that "without a formal diagnosis, it appears we will be left to self-diagnose via social media." Mel Merritt, head of policy and influencing at the National Autistic Society, added that "denying people a diagnosis will only worsen inequalities experienced."