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Referral
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Plymouth Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment Service.
Key Messages
The Plymouth Adult ADHD Assessment Service offers diagnosis and medication stabilisation for adults with ADHD. If ADHD is diagnosed and medication treatment is stabilised, we will arrange for transfer of prescribing responsibility back to your GP.
We can also offer advice to Professionals by email communication – livewell.adultadhdassessment@nhs.net
We do not offer psychological interventions for the treatment of ADHD in our clinic.
This guidance is for referrers whose patients would like an assessment of ADHD from the Plymouth Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment Service.
We accept referrals from clinicians (GP or other professionals) for ADHD assessments. We do not accept self-referrals.
We are unable to manage any mental health needs your patient may have whilst they are waiting for an ADHD assessment. If you think that your patient needs support regarding their mental health, please ensure they access the appropriate services whilst waiting for an assessment.
What is ADHD
ADHD is a developmental disorder with onset in childhood and characterised by a range of symptoms such as
- carelessness and lack of attention to detail
- continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones
- poor organisational skills
- inability to focus or prioritise
- continually losing or misplacing things
- forgetfulness
- restlessness and edginess
- difficulty keeping quiet and speaking out of turn
- blurting out responses and often interrupting others
- mood swings, irritability, and a quick temper
- extreme impatience
It is increasingly being diagnosed amongst adults struggling to fulfil their potential in employment and education settings, as the symptoms in childhood may have been masked by good family structures and school support. People with ADHD often struggle in their personal lives and can experience difficulties in relationships with friends, colleagues, and family. ADHD is heritable disorder and frequently exists in families across the generations, and in the clinic, we sometimes diagnose parents of children with ADHD, who themselves were never diagnosed in childhood.
While the core symptoms of ADHD are found in many people some of the time, when they are severe and persistent over time and lead to impairments across different settings, a diagnosis can be made. ADHD can impact on low self-esteem, cause distress from the symptoms of ADHD, impaired social interactions and relationships, behavioural problems, and the development of comorbid psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression, addictions.
People with ADHD often have complex needs and may also experience other mental health difficulties including mood and anxiety problems, addictions, and psychosis. If this is the case, we may advise them on how to seek treatment and care for their additional problems elsewhere within the available services.
The Patient’s assessment
We will offer the patient an appointment with a member of the ADHD team, at our base in Plymouth. Prior to the appointment, we would have asked the patient to fill in some questionnaires, advising how their current symptoms are impacting on their daily living activities. In this appointment we will spend time discussing their background and the types of difficulties that they have been experiencing. We ask that they come with someone who knows them, we can also talk to them about the patient’s difficulties. This assessment may be completed in one appointment lasting up to 3 hours.
Some people that we assess will meet the criteria for a diagnosis, while others may not. In either case we will discuss the information that we have collected during the assessment and discuss the different sources of further support that may be available for them.
Some patients find diagnosis helpful and education and self-help techniques may be sufficient to manage their difficulties.
Treatment
If the patient is diagnosed with ADHD we will discuss the current guidance concerning effective and recommended treatments for their condition which they may wish to think about. People’s treatment needs vary and not everyone responds to treatment in the same way. We will be able to make decisions considering the severity of the symptoms in their life and the eventual benefits that they may obtain from improved self-care and medication treatment.
Leaving our service
We will discharge the patient from the service at the end of the assessment if the patient has not received a diagnosis. If the patient is commencing treatment with us, once the patient’s treatment is stabilised, we will usually transfer prescribing responsibility back to their GP with advice about on-going care as relevant for them.
- If patient is presenting with acute comorbid mental health issue, follow normal referral pathway into mental health or learning disability services
- If patient is presenting with urgent social care needs, contact Adult Social Care
- Plymouth Adult ADHD Assessment Service does not care co-ordinate.
- Plymouth Adult ADHD Assessment Service do not offer crisis response or interventions.
Referral Criteria
- Are aged 18 or over
- Are registered with a Plymouth GP
- Do not already have a diagnosis of an ADHD and are taking medication.
Referral Instructions.
Best practice and to avoid delays for your patient, up to date physical health observations should be provided. Alongside History of Physical Health for Individual and Family Members.
To prioritise your referral, we need to know: is your patient a veteran, do they have a child under 1 year old. Please note - we are not able to manage risk while an individual is on our waiting list. If you have concerns, these should be managed by other services/professionals involved in the client’s care.
Send your referral via e-Referral Service Selection/DRSS
Speciality: Mental Health - Adults of all ages
Service: DRSS-Western-Mental Health-Adult- Devon
Referral Forms
Adult ADHD assessment service referral template-EMIS WEB
Adult ADHD assessment service referral template-no merge fields
Pathway Group
This guideline has been signed off by Livewell on behalf of NHS Devon.
Publication date: June 2022
Updated: February 2023
