Statement from the Scottish ADHD Coalition
The response of the Scottish ADHD Coalition to the statement made to the Scottish Parliament by Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Wellbeing in which he stated that “no system in the world could meet ADHD and autism assessment demands”:
“The coalition recognises the pressures placed on the NHS by a surge in demand for neurodevelopmental assessment and treatment but takes issue with the fatalistic attitude of the minster and many health boards which now appear to have given up on some of the most vulnerable members of our communities who as a result will suffer increased morbidity and mortality, and poorer life outcomes.
Rates of diagnosis in Scotland are extremely low in comparison with some of our near neighbours which suggests that as a nation we have failed to meet needs over a considerable period of time and now face an inevitable backlog caused by poor workforce planning and weaknesses in the early recognition of neurodevelopmental symptoms.
96% of adults in Scotland with ADHD have not been diagnosed and receive no treatment for this debilitating condition.
Something has clearly gone seriously wrong with our healthcare system, and we urge the Scottish Government and health boards to learn from nations that have been more successful in diagnosing and treating ADHD.
To this end we request that a concerted effort is made to establish why Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands and Canada have managed to address a health challenge that the Scottish Government believes is beyond our own current capabilities.
The Coalition recognises the efforts of clinical professionals who are under enormous pressure and who are attempting to develop innovative solutions to a problem that is not of their own making, but feel that there is insufficient political investment in mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders nor a willingness to learn from those more successful than ourselves.”
