The Royal College of Psychiatrists has welcomed the release of a new King's Fund report about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The adult ADHD assessments and diagnosis: data and service provision report outlines the need for better data collection to support wider improvements in services.
Responding to the report, Dr Ulrich Müller-Sedgwick, ADHD Champion at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:
“There has been a substantial rise in number of people in need of ADHD support in recent years, with many facing unacceptable delays when trying to access an assessment or follow-up care.
“The report rightly highlights that more accurate and reliable data collection is needed if we are to fully understand the scale of these challenges. This would ensure areas of the country with the greatest level of need are identified and services adequately expanded and improved.
“The absence of data collection guidance is often felt by staff on the ground and leads to inconsistent record keeping across the country. We support the report’s recommendation that national standards be created to address this, and it would be important that the ADHD taskforce is involved in the development of this guidance. This would need to be supported by targeted investment to help expand ADHD services and increase their capacity to deliver timely assessments and follow-up care.”
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