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The Health Minister has pledged to explore "all possible actions" to reduce the waiting list for adult ADHD diagnoses before making any decision on closing it.
Heath Minister Tom Binet confirmed that that waiting list would remain open in a letter to the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel earlier this week.
In March, Mental Health Director Andy Weir said that the Health Department was exploring the possibility of either closing the adult ADHD diagnoses waitlist, or prioritising assessments based on the severity and impact of symptoms.
But in his recent letter, Deputy Binet said: "While the closure of the list was considered, we have decided to review and explore all possible actions to reduce the waiting list before further considering such a step."
Pictured: In March, Mental Health Director Andy Weir said closing the ADHD assessment waitlist was being considered due to its excessive length.
These actions include a focus on current resources and strategies to improve wait times without turning people away from services.
The Minister explained that a new self-assessment questionnaire has been introduced as part of the pre-diagnostic assessment pathway.
ADHD training for mental health staff is also planned to improve initial screening and reduce unnecessary referrals.
The Health Minister's letter also revealed that 778 adults remained on the ADHD assessment waiting list at the end of August, meaning that 39 people had been assessed since June when there was 817 adults on the list.
However, the 140 young people waiting to transition into adult services has not changed since June.
The waitlist has grown steadily in recent years, with an average wait of around three years for new referrals.
And despite efforts to alleviate the pressure on the system, significant challenges remain.
Jersey, like many other areas, has struggled to maintain a steady supply of ADHD medication due to a global shortage caused by increased demand and manufacturing problems.
As a result, new patients have been unable to start treatment with certain medications, and existing patients have seen their prescriptions limited from six weeks to one month at a time.
Pictured: Global shortages of ADHD drugs has forced the Health Department to issue monthly rather than six-weekly prescriptions.
The shortage has also contributed to the overall strain on the ADHD service, as Jersey's only specialist ADHD consultant psychiatrist has to spend a significant amount of time managing repeat prescriptions – which further reduces the time available for new assessments.
One of the proposed solutions under discussion is allowing GPs to take over routine prescribing of ADHD medication after an initial assessment by a specialist.
This approach, common in other jurisdictions, could help free up specialist time for more assessments.
Known as 'shared prescribing', it has long been touted as a solution to the long Hospital Pharmacy queues.
While "various ongoing discussions have been held" regarding shared prescribing, progress has been slow, according to Deputy Binet's letter.
He explained this is due to disagreements among healthcare professionals about the best way to implement shared care for ADHD patients.
In addition, the global medication shortage has made some decision-makers reluctant to change the current system until the supply issues are resolved.
Pictured: 'Shared prescribing' would allow GPs to issue repeat prescriptions for some controlled drugs, such as ADHD medication.
Deputy Binet explained that draft shared care protocols have been developed, while the Pharmaceutical Benefit Advisory Committee (PBAC) has met to consider adding ADHD medication to a 'white list' of medications that are available to patients in the community at no charge through the Health Insurance Fund.
But the situation remains unresolved.
Deputy Binet's letter continued: "While PBAC was supportive of this in principle, they were unable to recommend it until the international shortages of these medicines are resolved, and agreement has been reached on the shared care protocols and ADHD pathway."
He added that there were "ongoing clinical disagreements about the way forward for shared care" during a meeting between the Health Department and the Primary Care Board, which represents local GPs.
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