Private healthcare pressures on GPs: ADHD deserves better

Howard bemoans private ADHD assessments.1 We respond as executive members of the UK Adult ADHD Network (www.ukaan.org).Yes, “dumping” work (private or NHS) on primary care is problematic, but it is unfair to compare ADHD to commercial health checks or “warts and lumps and bumps.” ADHD is not an optional inconvenience: untreated ADHD reduces longevity by 12.7 years.2ADHD affects patients’ education, employment, relationships, finances, and more. It is not that patients can afford the luxury of private treatment: they cannot afford to endure another year without treatment. Such patients are often being treated for anxiety, depression, or functional disorders. NHS services benefit from these patients getting correct, effective ADHD treatment, as well as “saving” the costs of NHS assessment.Short is correct that transferring work to primary care is “maladaptive,” 1 but this is because both primary and secondary care have inadequate resources. General practitioners receive extra payment for managing diabetes but…
Read Original Article: Private healthcare pressures on GPs: ADHD deserves better »