ADHD Treatment waiting times (FOI)

Request 

What is the current wait time is between someone receiving an ADHD diagnosis and them getting a prescription for treatment for this? Could we please have information for both adults and children if they are different? As for a 'prescription for treatment', I am referring to whatever treatment the individual person is recommended?

Response

Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) response:

For most patients there is no waiting time between diagnosis and first prescription.

Only if the patient needs time to consider pharmacological treatment, or if it is necessary to wait for a cardiology opinion before commencing recommended pharmacological treatment, will there be a delay. In these circumstances, this could be several weeks.

Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) response:

This information is not currently held as a central record of data. The Department would need to review each individual case note of every child and young person that has been referred to understand if a diagnosis of ADHD was recorded and then when treatment was recommended or prescribed. To do this would exceed the cost limit provisions allowed under Article 16 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 and the 12.5 hours limit allowed under regulation 2 (1) of the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014.

However, a bespoke treatment plan is put into place following any diagnosis of ADHD, based on presenting need, physiological issues and family feelings on medication. Some children start a trial of medication immediately following discussion of the diagnostic outcome. For some families time is given to consider medication whilst environmental, educational, and other adaptions are put into place whilst training, such as the New Forest Parenting course are completed. The medication option is then reviewed at follow up appointments.

Article applied

Article 16 - A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

(1)     A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations.

(2)     Despite paragraph (1), a scheduled public authority may still supply the information requested on payment to it of a fee determined by the authority in the manner prescribed by Regulations for the purposes of this Article.

(3)     Regulations may provide that, in such circumstances as the Regulations prescribe, if two or more requests for information are made to a scheduled public authority –

(a)     by one person; or

(b)     by different persons who appear to the scheduled public authority to be acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign, the estimated cost of complying with any of the requests is to be taken to be the estimated total cost of complying with all of them.