AQW 42495/22-27
Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down
Tabled Date: 13/03/2026
Answered On Date: 14/05/2026
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether he will be taking any action to address inconsistency in accessing ADHD support and medication through shared care arrangements between GPs and private healthcare providers following the February 2026 publication of the ADHD Needs Assessment Report.
Answer:
The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Needs Assessment Report, published in February 2026, with recommendations on service design and staffing, confirms there is no costneutral option for delivering a consistent ADHD service, and future commissioning will depend on budget availability amid significant financial pressures. Shared care arrangements are drawn up following local discussion and agreement by prescribing parties. Whilst there is no obligation on GPs to prescribe, in instances where a GP considers that the medication being requested in clinically appropriate, falls within their areas of competences, does not breach the terms of their contract or indemnity cover, and is in keeping with the General Medical Council (GMC guidance) on Good Medical Practice, then they may choose to prescribe. Where a GP chooses to prescribe or enter into shared care arrangements following a private diagnosis, there are associated clinical and legal liabilities, therefore a GP must be confident in the diagnosis, support and guidance given to them and the patient, by the recommending specialist. Recognising current difficulties in accessing ADHD assessment and treatment, my officials have begun an options appraisal to identify feasible short to medium term measures, pending decisions on a commissioned service, while taking account of the significant financial pressures facing the health system. This work will inform an implementation plan, which is currently under development. The plan will identify appropriate timescales for implementation of recommendations in the report, while recognising that some recommendations can only proceed in the context of a future service. Existing Departmental guidance covering private prescribing requests and shared care, which issued to GPs in November 2024, remains extant. The role of shared care arrangements will be considered as part of the work on the commissioned model for ADHD services.
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