In Parliament, Labour MPs across Sheffield, Marie Tidball MP and Olivia Blake MP, urged the Government to take action to bring down waiting lists for ADHD diagnoses across the region, after years of cuts to the NHS service from the Conservatives.
Under the previous Conservative Government, cuts to the NHS caused ADHD waiting lists to soar to over 5,000 people. There’s now a 5 year wait time in the Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Trust.
Under the Labour Government so far, NHS waiting lists have fallen for 6 months in a row, meaning 100,000 more people have been treated on time. The Government have delivered 3 million more appointments and recruited over 1,500 GPs, as well as providing the biggest funding boost to GPs in years.
In Parliament, Marie Tidball MP and Olivia Blake MP both highlighted the detrimental legacy and impact of these waiting lists on constituents waiting for a diagnosis, and asked Government to target their work to ensure ADHD waiting lists are reduced, and regional differences are evened out, including in Sheffield.
In response to Olivia Blake MP’s question, the Health Minister, said, “I pay tribute to [Olivia Blake] for improving support for ADHD, and recognise the valuable perspective she brings through her lived experience. This Government inherited a broken NHS, with too many people facing lonig waits for an assessment. [The] NHS England ADHD taskforce is loooking at how support for people with ADHD can be improved. I look forward to reading its report, and I recently had a very productive meeting with the Director of that taskforce.”
In response to Marie Tidball MP, Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health, added that he is working closely with the Secretary of State for Education, along with the ADHD taksforce, to “ensure that our education and health services are better joined up to meet the needs of young people...I hope we will have lots of progress to report on those issues.”
The Labour Government fully recognise how many people are struggling to access early, effective support, and how important this is to receiving access to services. The Government have committed to ensuring that people with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions get the right support, at the right time.
The Government have said that a crucial part to ensuring the NHS can provide the right support is understanding the rising demand for services. For the first time, NHS England will publish management information on ADHD waits at a national level. This month, they will also publish a data improvement plan and guidance for ICBs to improve recording of ADHD data, with a view to publishing more localised data in the future.
Following the exchange, Marie Tidball, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said:
“I know the Government’s work to bring down waiting lists month on month for the last six months will make a real difference to our communities. However, the backlog of ADHD diagnoses that grew up the last Conservative Government is still impacting on my constituents.”“I have listened to countless local people who have told me about the upsetting impact of long waiting times for an ADHD diagnosis for children. That is having a detrimental knock-on effect on access to support, including child and adolescent mental health services and shared care agreements, and there is a lack of support for adopted children too.”“I was pleased to hear the Secretary of State set out how his work will be targeted to bring down waiting lists for ADHD diagnoses in my constituency, to ensure consistency in diagnosis rates across trusts. I will continue working closely with my colleague Olivia Blake, and the Government to ensure people can access the support they urgently need.”
Olivia Blake, MP for Sheffield Hallam, said:
“As someone with ADHD, it is deeply disappointing to hear from constituents about the growing difficulties in accessing diagnosis and medication. Waiting times of two, five, even seven years are sadly becoming the norm, and this often depends on which part of the country you live in.It is vital that the government steps in to close these regional disparities and ensure that everyone can access timely and appropriate support.”
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