ABSTRACT

Despite ADHD being a relatively common disorder of childhood, comprehensive assessment and treatment services are not routinely available in all areas of the UK. Although many areas of the UK have access to dedicated ADHD services, this varies from county to county and region to region. Lead responsibility for service provision varies, and paediatric services probably see more children and young people than specialist mental health services. Some ADHD services are hospital-based and are located in paediatric services, whilst others are hosted by specialist CAMHS teams (NHS Quality Improvement Scotland 2007). A number are commissioned and delivered in partnership between both these services and involve shared care arrangements (NICE 2008). Several specialist ADHD teams have developed to support a multi-agency approach to the assessment and treatment of children with ADHD. Often this is part of a wider service that also focuses on autistic spectrum disorders and other developmental disorders (Horstmann and Steer 2007). Most ADHD services in the UK cover a small catchment area and provide assessment and treatment services for local children and families. However, services that cover a wider area such as an NHS health board in Scotland or Wales or subregion in England also exist. The multidisciplinary composition of these services also varies, with some but not all having specialist ADHD nursing input.