Like most mental health conditions, ADHD symptoms are continuously distributed across a spectrum, with a man-made diagnostic threshold aimed at the 5% who have them most severely. Yes, a bad faith actor with significant ADHD symptoms and a programme to make can selectively exaggerate or minimise the impact those symptoms have on their life to get or not get a diagnosis. And yes, some assessments, private or NHS are less than ideal.
But the real scandal here is the lack of access to NHS treatment for ADHD for the thousands of people suffering every day that they cannot access highly effective treatment for a very treatable condition. I am truly sickened that someone who is apparently an ADHD specialist, so should know how treatable the condition is and how desperately patients are suffering, would take part in this shameful charade, which I fear will further encourage non ADHD aware GPs to refuse to help their patients with shared care so that they can continue to access life changing treatment.
Please find attached the ADHD Foundation’s excellent statement, quoted in full. Panorama has a record of attacking ADHD, and have clearly not learned from their last attack on ADHD in 2010, when BBC had to broadcast an on-air correction and apology for serious breaches of editorial standards. It is never too late to learn, so do consider letting the BBC know your views
https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/2023/05/15/response-to-bbc-panorama-private-adhd-clinics-exposed/