ADHD Medication Access

Starting Medication

The first step is to get an appointment with a specialist who can explain the medication options, start the medication and the adjust the dose until its right for your child.

You could see a Community Paediatrician, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist or a GP with a special interest in ADHD.

Suggestions on who to see:

• Doctor Now in Beaconsfield

• Clinical Partners

• Dr Kanga, Mallya or Sawhney at Chiltern Hosp in Great Missenden

• Dr Cassie Coleman

• Dr Jeremy Wheeler - 01753 854200 - [email protected]

Transferring Private ADHD Prescribing to the NHS

If you have started medication privately you may want to transfer this prescribing to the NHS. Families requesting medication following a private diagnosis, will be asked to do this through the CAMHS Single Point of Access team (SPA). For Buckinghamshire this is HERE.

SPA will request a copy of the diagnostic report from the family, and the report will be screened to check it meets NICE guidance. Specifically, the service requires the diagnostic report to include a clear and robust developmental history that evidences the persistent presentation of ADHD symptoms, and that these symptoms are evident in more than one setting. [our assessment does this]

Children who are being prescribed medication privately will need to have had a documented medication review, including physical observations, in the last 6 months, in line with NICE guidance.

Families contacting CAMHS are provided with an advice pack containing the same guidance a copy of which can be found HERE.

In Summary:

1. Whoever assesses your child should follow NICE guidelines – we do at Everlief. No further assessment is required and in fact would be unethical.

2. The main route for medication is via a shared care protocol with a specialist but as the guide says, not every GP is happy to do this.

3. If your GP will not agree to a shared care protocol the next option is getting a referral into the CAMHS ADHD medication route – you can self-refer HERE or ask the GP to, but it’s important you make it clear you already have the diagnosis. This may take time – “Any review offered by CAMHS following private initiation of your treatment would subject to our usual waiting times and would not be expedited, hence the importance of the above.”

4. While you wait for the CAMHS team you would need to pay privately for the medicines.