Healthwatch Liverpool ADHD report

Healthwatch Liverpool used the methodology used by Healthwatch England for its report on ADHD to undertake a local study.  They surveyed 601 people.

The impact of ADHD on people’s lives can be profound. The findings on those diagnosed reveal significant negative effects on people’s ability to concentrate at work or when studying (73%), mental wellbeing (74%), household management (73%), and relationships (59%). There are also impacts on those undiagnosed. 

An ADHD diagnosis can change people’s lives, giving them a better understanding of themselves (91%), giving them new strategies to manage their ADHD traits (50%), helping them to concentrate at work or while studying (48%) and finding it easier to maintain relationships (50%). 

However, people are experiencing long waits, pushing them to pay for private assessments. This, in turn, creates a two-tier system based on the ability to pay for care. Over half (56%) of those waiting for an assessment who responded to the survey had been doing so for over a year. 

There are hidden waits for ADHD referrals. Along with long waits for assessment, people shared stories of referral delays and a reluctance to seek support due to long waits. 

People want support while waiting for an ADHD assessment but most aren’t getting any. Half (50%) of people in the survey waiting for an ADHD assessment want support to manage their mental wellbeing, while three in five (60%) want a single point of contact. However, almost nine in ten (87%) people with an ADHD diagnosis said they received either no information or poor information whilst waiting for their assessment. 

People with ADHD or suspected ADHD can be reluctant to speak to their employer about support. Less than one in three (31%) of the survey respondents who were in work had done so. Reasons for not telling their employer included worrying about possible implications for their job and not thinking that changes would make a difference. However over half of people (55%) who had told their employer were offered at least one reasonable adjustment to support them.

Respondents who considered that they had both ADHD and autism reported a disjointed and drawn out process and the weighty impact of both conditions on their lives. 

A disadvantage of assessments mainly being done remotely by Right to Choose services is that there is no ability for these services to signpost people to local support if needed. Many people were therefore unaware of local support options. They may have been able to develop coping and stabilising strategies sooner had they had access to this information.