Dr. Sonia Morris:

As the HSE is using the metric of kids on the waiting list to gauge the efficiency of CAMHS, it has been introducing waiting list initiatives across the country. Similar to what the Changing Lives Initiative said about annual funding, this takes the form of a one-year post or, in some instances, a six-month post, where the HSE employs a clinician to blitz the list and, hopefully, put in place processes so that the list does not build up again. The fact that this position is only a one-year or six-month post means that the gains are not maintained. It is potentially not attracting the right candidates either. Sometimes, the HSE is setting itself up for failure in this regard.

The problem with using the metric of waiting list numbers is that, once those ADHD kids are in the system, there is nothing in it to provide for them because kids with moderate to severe mental health concerns are still on the caseload and coming in off the waiting list. The solution is to have separate teams for ADHD so that there is none of the competition or prioritisation that currently has to happen within CAMHS. There would be a team whose remit was just ADHD assessments or, even better, neurodivergence more generally. Speaking as a clinician, part of my role on the team is handling ADHD assessments. I regularly see kids who are also potentially autistic or dyslexic or they do not have ADHD but are autistic and dyslexic. To ensure informed decision-making on my part, I need to know whether they are meeting the criteria for autism or dyslexia so that I can better interpret the results of their ADHD assessments. This means that I have to send them to a CDNT or NEPS for assessment before they can return to me to confirm a diagnosis. That is very frustrating for parents, who have already waited a considerable time to gain access to me to see whether they can get a diagnosis in the first place. Something needs to be done about this matter.