Training more staff to prescribe meds could improve ADHD service

Monday 09 December 2024

Training more healthcare professionals to prescribe ADHD medication could reduce wait times and improve patient care, a new report has found.

The Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, led by Deputy Louise Doublet, has published a report that sets out a series of recommendations aimed at bettering Jersey’s ADHD service.

Chief among these is a call for the team to improve communication with those on the waiting list, and to create a dedicated hub or clinic for patients to collect their medication and receive advice when they need it. 

Pictured: Deputy Louise Doublet, Chair of the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel. 

The panel has also suggested the Health Department should expand training for healthcare professionals so they can prescribe ADHD medication.

The publication of this report follows a six-month review that looked into how ADHD drugs were prescribed to adults, prompted by concerns about staffing and an increased level of demand that was straining the current system.

Just weeks before the review was launched, it emerged that nearly 1,000 islanders were awaiting ADHD assessments — with those in the queue facing three and a half years from referral to diagnosis. 

At the time, Mental Health Director Andy Weir acknowledged the "core issue" as a lack of capacity, with only one consultant psychiatrist and one junior doctor currently able to diagnose and prescribe ADHD medication to hundreds of patients. 

The review was also launched after a year-long global shortage of ADHD medication forced the Health Department to issue one-month supplies of the drug instead of the standard three-month dose. 

This situation, coupled with long queues at the hospital pharmacy, made it increasingly difficult for many to access treatment and left some worried that their designated medication would run out.

Pictured: Mental Health Director Andy Weir. 

Earlier this year, Express was told that some patients had felt forced to turn to illegal drugs such as cannabis – or medication bought on the dark web – to ease their symptoms. 

The challenges posed by years-long waits for diagnosis coupled with difficulties in getting hold of medication were identified by the panel.

They stressed the need for “immediate action” to reduce the waiting list and to expand the number of healthcare professionals authorised to prescribe medication by providing more training to ensure they feel comfortable to do so. 

This measure, the panel explained, would reduce the workload on the sole specialist consultant psychiatrist and expedite patient care. 

The report read: “There is not enough being done in the island to address the concerns of those suffering with ADHD.

“Numerous written submissions from the public mentioned the same issues and people felt generally let down by the current system, noting obstacles in place for the basics, like obtaining medication, adding a burden to an already stressful situation.”

Pictured: Global shortages of ADHD drugs forced the Health Department to issue monthly rather than six-weekly prescriptions.

In a statement, Deputy Doublet added: “It is clear to the Panel that people who have shared their experiences with us feel let down by the current system.  

“They are frustrated with the long wait for a diagnosis and lack of communication regarding not only that, but the impact the global shortage of ADHD medication could have on them. 

“While there is little that Jersey can do to improve the situation regarding the shortage, we can remove some of the other obstacles people are facing. 

“Allowing more staff to issue repeat prescriptions is vital to this and is something that can be delivered within the resources the department has and within a reasonable amount of time and would dramatically improve people’s experiences.”

The panel has also suggested that a “modified waiting area” should be set up in the new hospital to avoid the sensory issues of poor lighting, limited of seating, and loud announcements identified at the current hospital pharmacy. 

The panel also called for “a comprehensive programme for ADHD Awareness Month in October 2025”, after the Health Minister admitted three months ago that the Government had taken a limited approach. 

“We really need to get things resolved before we raise too much more awareness of the condition,” he told the Panel in October. 

The panel also said that the ADHD service should provide “a clear communication plan for those on the waiting list” within three months, after finding that the lack of status updates was “having an impact on the well-being of those waiting for an assessment”.