A mum from Morecambe has spoken out to support local families who are facing years waiting for an ADHD assessment for children.
Cheryl Davies said her teenage son was on a waiting list for three years and there are many other "families in turmoil" in the Lancaster and Morecambe area as they face unacceptably long waits for a diagnosis.
In May, a report revealed that many children and young people in Lancashire and South Cumbria were on waiting lists of more than two years, and an investigation discovered that many areas of the UK have such long backlogs for adult ADHD assessments that it would take at least eight years to clear them.
The local care board told Beyond Radio they acknowledge waiting times are "not good enough".
And the Morecambe MP said the service for children and adults waiting for ADHD assessments has been "appalling for years" and parents contacting her are "tearing their hair out" in frustration.
Mrs Davies said she and her family were "banging their head against a brick wall" for years as they tried to get help.
"I was angry, sad, I cried a lot, we cried a lot as a family," she said.
"It's hard to see your child stuck inside his own head and knowing there is help for them out there."
LISTEN to Cheryl Davies talking to Beyond Radio
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour - making it harder to concentrate and manage time. Acting impulsively and taking risks can also be an issue.
People are only diagnosed if the symptoms cause at least a moderate impact on their lives.
"Families are in turmoil, at their wits' end," said Mrs Davies.
"There is no funding. There needs to be more money put into it.
"The whole mental health sector is really underfunded for the amount of people who need help.
"if you go to GPs, they bounce you back and say you have to go through school.
"This waiting list that parents and families think their children are on, and their kids are moving up this ladder, they are not moving up the ladder.
"There is literally a stalemate. They will stay there until one child turns 18 and moves into the adult sector, and then they can take on another child. It's literally one in one out, at the minute.
"In the long-term, what is the 10 year plan? This is going to affect these children's mental health. But the adult mental health sector is on its knees as well.
"What are they going to do to help? These kids...it could have been prevented, them having adult mental health issues. It could have been prevented as a child, if the service was there.
"I'm trying to help all these families, there are a lot of people in this area in the same boat, I'm trying my best to raise awareness for it."
Mrs Davies said she and her family got so fed up of waiting they ended up paying privately for 13-year-old Riley to be diagnosed and treated.
She said he has been a "completely different child" since the diagnosis.
The Reporting from Committees: Escalation and Assurance Report said that demand in Lancashire and South Cumbria had "risen exponentially" since 2022.
It warned that patients "may deteriorate and come to harm whilst waiting".
Professor Sarah O’Brien, chief nursing officer for Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “We acknowledge the length of time that people in our region are waiting for ADHD assessment is not good enough, and it is a similar challenge seen across the country.
"Our pathway for ADHD assessment is currently under review, and we are working with system partners to develop proposals for a future pathway for 2025/2026 as we look to reduce waiting times.”
A BBC investigation carried out in the summer suggested at least 196,000 adults were on waiting lists for ADHD assessment across the UK.
Lizzi Collinge, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, said: “The service for children and adults waiting for an assessment for ADHD, and autism, has been appalling for years. I regularly get emails from parents who are tearing their hair out waiting for assessments. This is further compounded by long delays to them receiving an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to put in place support to ensure kids with ADHD and autism thrive.
“The Labour Government is supporting an independent cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.
"The ADHD taskforce will also work closely with the Department for Education’s neurodivergence task and finish group. I am hopeful that the taskforce and our national policies to reduce waiting times will start to address these issues but we know it will take time.
“I recently met with the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to discuss the problems with EHCPs and support for kids with additional needs and she told me she is committed to reforming the system to ensure all young people are able to fulfil their potential.”
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