'We remortgaged to fund our children's medications'

Nearly 400,000 private prescriptions were written for ADHD drugs last year and millions of pounds were spent on treatments as patients tried to bypass long NHS waiting lists.

Figures obtained by the BBC show the number of drug prescriptions increased from 28,439 in 2018-19 to 397,552 in 2023-24.

A family from West Yorkshire said they had chosen to remortgage their home to pay the costs, as research suggests the backlog of 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 “control waiting lists”, adding that the NHS had recently set up an “ADHD taskforce” to help tackle delays.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a disorder that affects people's behavior, making it harder to concentrate and manage their time.

Acting impulsively and taking risks can also be a problem and has been linked to serious mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 3-4% of adults in the UK have ADHD, while the global prevalence of the condition among children is estimated to be around 5%.

Last year, a BBC investigation found that more than 196,000 adults were on NHS waiting lists seeking diagnosis in many parts of the UK Record wait times of at least eight years.

Jannine and Chris from Halifax are among those taking action to avoid the long wait.

The couple were told it could take up to two years before their children, Oliver, 13, and Sophie, eight, could be diagnosed and treated by the NHS in West Yorkshire.

“Oliver’s ADHD was debilitating,” Jenny said.

“For both children, ADHD manifested itself as anxiety, an inability to focus on education and emotional dysregulation.

“Oliver couldn't go to school because of his anxiety. Sophie, especially on Mondays, would come home completely exhausted. We were just banging our heads against the NHS wall.”

After deciding to go private, the couple paid more than £8,000 for diagnostics for their two children and a further £500 a month for medication.

The couple said they had switched to an interest-only mortgage to fund treatment.

“It felt like we had no choice,” Chris said.

“When you're already dealing with the challenges of ADHD, finding the money each month just creates more stress.”

Jenny added: “There’s a time limit on how much we can afford to do this because it’s definitely a financial strain.”

Their son Oliver said: “I have difficulty concentrating when I’m not taking my medication and I used to get confused easily.

“But since I started taking the medication I'm doing much better and in the past four months I've started learning to play the guitar.”

Figures obtained by the BBC through a Freedom of Information request to the NHS Commercial Services Authority show the equivalent of 525,000 packets of controlled ADHD medication were privately prescribed to around 30,000 patients in 2023-24.

The most commonly prescribed drug is methylphenidate, which costs private patients £15 to £50 per month. And lisdexamfetamine and dextroamphetamine can cost patients between £50 and £130 a month.

However, some families say the cost of private medication is simply unaffordable.

“We can't afford the monthly costs,” said Jenny Barker, of Pontefract, who has spent the past seven years trying to get an NHS prescription for ADHD for her 21-year-old daughter, Nicole. drug.

“If we privatized, honestly, that would probably mean we would have to go down the food bank route because we would have to cut other areas of the household budget,” she said.

“The system is broken and deeply unfair.”

Graham, also from West Yorkshire, said he had been paying less than £100 a month for ADHD medication since being diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety four months ago, which left him unable to work.

He said he thinks growing awareness of the condition and an increase in online content may prompt people to seek private help.

Videos on YouTube and TikTok claiming to help people self-diagnose Viewed billions of timesCelebrities such as TV presenter Ant McPartlin, singer Jessie J and comedian Johnny Vegas have also recently shared details of their diagnoses.

“It's a good investment, but I think a lot of people watch YouTube videos about ADHD drugs that describe the brain suddenly going completely quiet and pinning their hopes on something happening to them,” he said .

“My experience and conversations with others suggest that the effects are far more subtle than that.”

Emily Dove, who also has ADHD, works as a PA Psychologist in Leeds.

“We're seeing more and more private referrals and people are absolutely desperate,” she said.

“People cannot afford to wait the time they are told they have to wait on the NHS and they have no choice but to chip in to pay for a private assessment.”

Ms Dove, who was diagnosed with ADHD in her early 30s, said women and girls particularly struggled to get a diagnosis through the NHS.

“I remember going to my GP and he told me that ADHD was a trend and everyone thought they had it. It was very invalidating. The stereotype of ADHD is still that of hyperactive, excited boys running around run.

“I think it would be cheaper for the NHS to diagnose people with anxiety and depression, which are often a by-product of ADHD, than to have ADHD correctly assessed and diagnosed.”

An NHS spokesman said: “Patients are waiting too long to be diagnosed with ADHD and that’s why the NHS An independent expert working group was established This will explore the root causes of a range of sectoral problems and help health services manage increasing numbers of ADHD referrals. “

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Lord Darzi's report shows how much delays our fragmented NHS is causing for people waiting for a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). serious.

“This government will get the NHS back on its feet and get waiting lists under control so people don’t feel they have to turn to the private sector for treatment.

“NHS England’s ADHD Working Group also brings together expertise from the NHS, education sector and justice system to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD.”

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