ADHD prescribing changes proposed to ease pressure

Hundreds of prescriptions for ADHD medication are being written for adults each month by Jersey's sole consultant psychiatrist, a panel has been told.

The Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel is conducting a review into the island's procedures for prescribing the medication.

During a public hearing as part of the review, the panel heard Jersey's only consultant psychiatrist is writing approximately 300 adult prescriptions monthly.

Mental health service bosses told the panel plans to allow GPs to prescribe ADHD medication once a consultant has made a diagnosis could help ease the issue.

ADHD is a condition that affects people’s behaviour - making it harder to concentrate and manage time. Acting impulsively and taking risks can also be an issue.

Andy Weir, director of mental health and adult social care, said prescriptions were being done on a monthly basis in response to a global shortage of the medication.

The panel heard attempts by the health department to employ another specialist who could prescribe ADHD medication along with the island's consultant psychiatrist had not worked out due to a lack of experts in the field globally.

During the hearing, the panel was told a shared care pathway had been proposed to help ease pressure on the current system.

Under the proposal, a specialist consultant would make a diagnosis and start treatment.

Once the correct treatment and dosage are established, GPs can prescribe the same medication, with any required changes being referred back to the specialist consultant.

Health minister, Deputy Tom Binet said discussions about the shared care pathway were ongoing.

Mr Binet told the panel: "The hope is an agreement can be reached and that issue can be resolved, which would make a significant difference."

Mr Weir said there are 873 adults and 590 young people waiting for an ADHD assessment in Jersey.

He added the average waiting time for an adult was about three-and-a-half years, making it the longest waiting list within Jersey’s mental health services.

Speaking to the panel, Mr Weir said discussions were being held "continuously" about how to prioritise cases.

"Do we prioritise based on urgency, do we prioritise on how people are impeded - those are conversations we are still working through," Mr Weir added.

The panel plans to publish a report along with its findings and recommendations to the health minister by the end of the year.

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