ADHD: Health Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve national consistency in shared care arrangements for patients prescribed medication for ADHD; and whether he plans to introduce national (a) standards and (b) guidance to reduce regional variation in access to ongoing treatment.
Answered by Department of Health and Social Care
The General Medical Council has published guidance which supports integrated care boards and National Health Service organisations in developing and using shared care agreements, and which helps general practitioners decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities.
If a shared care agreement cannot be put in place after treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician, and this applies to both NHS and private medical care. There is no requirement at present for further guidance or standards on this point.
The Department has regular discussions on various matters with NHS England and other relevant bodies, but it is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including on access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder services.
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