An undercover investigation by the BBC has exposed serious issues within private ADHD clinics in England, where reporters were diagnosed with ADHD and offered powerful medications after limited online video assessments. This included one instance where a journalist was diagnosed after a 45-minute video call and charged £685, and another after a 1 hour and 40 minute assessment costing £1,095, raising concerns about the thoroughness and reliability of these diagnoses.
These findings come amid a significant surge in demand for ADHD assessments, with over half a million people currently awaiting an NHS assessment. The NHS is increasingly referring patients to private providers, and is also paying for thousands of these private assessments, with total spending on ADHD services expected to double existing budgets. The NHS is overspending by $164 million a year on ADHD services, with a growing portion going to these private, often unregulated, clinics.
Experts and NHS consultants have voiced strong concerns, highlighting cases where private diagnoses have been rejected by the NHS due to non-compliance with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. This creates an inefficient system that wastes public money and leaves patients without proper care, with some individuals potentially receiving incorrect diagnoses and inappropriate medication. The issue has led to a "two-tier" system in England, where the inability to access NHS services drives patients to private clinics.
The lack of continuity of care after private diagnoses has also been identified as a problem, with patients experiencing harm. One NHS trust noted that the churn of patients cycling back into services after rejected private assessments is hindering its ability to treat others. Patients who posted negative reviews about these clinics were reportedly threatened with legal action, further illustrating the problematic practices within some of these unregulated private establishments.
