Panorama Private ADHD clinics exposed

[Youdoyoubabe]

Nothing surprising there really but good to highlight it on national television. Everyone has some characteristics of ADHD.

I watched it. It was the worst documentary I've ever seen. Totally biased. The 'investigator' told the NHS doctor he was from panorama, where as he didn't tell the private clinics this.

Most Psychiatrists work in the NHS AND private clinics. They are the same clinicians.

The 'investigator' also lied to the private clinics and pretended he had ADHD to get a diagnosis and then was saying this wasn't correct when he got one, even though he was pretending to have ADHD.

Most people who go to clinics for ADHD already think they have ADHD and expect a diagnosis.

Erm … it wouldn’t actually be necessary medication if the person seeking help did not actually have ADHD…
how would wrongly giving people a diagnosis of ADHD be doing an ‘essential service’ ?

Sorry but I find it incredible that BBC Panorama will go to such lengths to expose private clinics but completely ignore the scandal of teenager s being prescribed puberty blockers and cross sex hormones, which sterilize them, but this is being lauded as ' gender affirming care. '

I was diagnosed privately and I’m a medical professional myself. The clinic was nothing but professional and I had ECG, bloods, BP etc before commencing stimulants. I also got shared care granted after a few short weeks

The investigator didn't lie. That's not the point at all.

The nhs assessment took over 3 hours - that's two hours more questions than the private clinic. It's obviously therefore going to cover more detail.

You can see the private psychologist basically coaching all his responses rather than asking open questions.

That poor mental health nurse who cried with the shame of having worked at one of those places. It's very hard when you are perhaps naive or need the money, but you end up in some unethical private business ripping off people with genuine mental health struggles who need a proper assessment.

He didn't pretend to have ADHD though, he answered all the questions honestly.

He has what might be considered some ADHD traits, but the NHS psychiatrist said below the clinical threshold for diagnosis on every count.

Yes, they charge up to £100 for the prescription per month.

Blankstarer
I think it is a valid concern. I am sure that if I looked up adhd symptoms and paid for an assessment, I would be given a diagnosis. How can that be a clinical assessment?

Most of us feel "different" or not understood at time. An ADHD diagnosis can mean "everything makes sense" and the feeling of "other-ness" is explained. This can be very attractive.

Most people who go to clinics for ADHD already think they have ADHD and expect a diagnosis.

That’s exactly the problem.

Does anyone else see the similarities with the "gender clinics" in the US? People responding to a tick-list of vague symptoms given by a "specialist" and then passed on to someone else to prescribe the drugs? No one takes responsibility and the patient is immediately put on to a life-long regime of potentially harmful drugs. It sounds like exactly the same MO from the pharmaceutical industry to me and also fuelled by social media.

Is it more or less helpful than waiting 3 years to see someone on the NHS?
That would be hard to call

I will add, I was diagnosed by an NHS medical director (a psychiatrist) but the difference was I paid for it. They used reports way back to reception age, my speech and language progression letters as a young child and 3 informant reports

The NHS only takes 3 years if you are intent on an adhd assessment. If your open to other diagnoses or a more generalised assessment you will be seen much quicker.

Why report it though? It is a fad, watch Tik Tok. That doesn’t mean it is not also a real disability/illness/superpower choose your word of choice.

Why is it hard to call?

Sure, if it's a diagnosis only. But strong medication that is unnecessary versus a three year waiting list to get the right treatment? I think that's easy.

I could get my gallbladder taken out tomorrow but it's not going to help me if I've actually got a stomach ulcer, is it? Is it better to wait three years for stomach ulcer treatment or have my gallbladder removed on the grounds that 'at least I am doing something '?

oh some people love to run to teacher. They'd be reporting Panorama for exposing the truth if they could. As it is, they just won't watch it in case it contaminates their worldview.

From my experience, I must say I do get a bit concerned when many people, including parents, reject the diagnosis of no ASD/ADHD given by the NHS, then ask for private clinic reference and everyone starts telling them to go private. There's this weird unspoken chorus of 'once you go private, you get your desired diagnosis' that leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

I know there are many valid reasons for going private but I can't say that it isn't abused, like everything else.

And I don't agree with the 'we're all a bit adhd/asd' trope. Like a pp said upthread, we don't say "We all have traits of dementia" or we're alla bit disabled in our own way, etc. It doesn't count when you don't have all/most of the traits and meet the required criteria for diagnosis.

The 'get privately written up for ADHD, get a legal script for wizz (i.e. Adderall, Vyvanse, etc)' has been a thing in the USA for some years,

How is that gaslighting?

You can have a small cancerous tumour that can be removed and have no more cancer but you still have cancer. Would that person saying they had a gentler cancer than other be gaslighting someone with stage 4 incurable cancer?

If you have a mild headache and I have a severe migraine do you not also deserve a paracetamol.

So many things are on degrees, on spectrums.

@User613 that's rubbish, sorry but it is.

We have been on the asd pathway for 18 months now and it's also a 2 year wait for dyspraxia. My DS likely has all three. I'd love to see someone in one go to assess all three in one go, but unfortunately such a service on the NHS isn't available.

I would absolutely love someone to holistically look at my child as a whole and make recommendations. An educational pyschologist has and said he needed referrals for all 3.

His school are assuming he will get a diagnosis of ASD and dyspraxia and so supporting him as such (as much as they can). They can support him with his ADHD but the reality is, it's his biggest issue and medication can significantly help him. So we went private.

Totally this and I correct anybody who comes out with this utter bollocks. I am a parent of a child with an NHS diagnosis of autism and combined type ADHD. Programmes like this will do huge damage to people living with these conditions and those who make comments like that haven't got a sodding clue. I am so angry about it.

I don't think he did pretend he had ADHD. I think he answered their questions honestly. They were not probing or in-depth questions and they did not cover all the areas they should. Fair point about bias in telling the NHS clinic but not the others that he was from panorama.

In terms of not diagnosing ADHD, I think it can be harder to say 'this is not ADHD, this may be trauma, this may be parenting etc' and from some parents/ people, there will be significant push back to that. I say that as someone whose sibling got their child diagnosed and very clearly, ahead of assessment, had decided that this was the issue. Being told 'not ADHD' would have been hugely threatening and led to her complaining in her most violent fashion. Some clinics will stand up to that of course, but we should understand the actual incentives to diagnose, esp when people have paid so much for the assessment.

People dont seem to understand that clinics can’t actually issue or sell medication. They issue a prescription (ie a permit to receive medication) which a pharmacy will fill by giving the patient the medication , and the pharmacy will make some profit whilst the drug companies will make a large profit

True, but the ones making big bucks package it up so you get the treatment via their 'in house' pharmacy/ linked provider. You aren't expected to pop down to Boots with it