Private ADHD prescription costs 'not sustainable'
Luke Walton/BBCA father-of-two with ADHD has called for better treatment of patients with a private diagnosis, as he struggles to afford medication.
Kieren Jennings, from Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, received a private diagnosis of the condition last year, followed by a private prescription of ADHD medication.
But he said he had been left with a bill of about £1,500 a year for medicine and assessments after his request to a local GP for an NHS prescription was refused.
The government said GPs could turn down so-called shared care agreements - where GPs take over responsibility for prescriptions from specialists - if they did not have the capacity to offer safe care to patients.
Mr Jennings said the ongoing cost of the private prescription was "not sustainable".
"It's not something I can continue or we as a family can continue to pay for," he said, but added the medication had made a "massive difference".
"I think that levelling out of energy, that ability to focus on things, has made me more present as a dad and as a husband."
'Proper service' needed
Mr Jennings has started a petition to parliament calling for "better integration of privately diagnosed patients into NHS pathways and continuity of care".
So far it has gathered more than 1,500 signatures.
The campaign has been supported by the charity ADHD UK, which says many others are struggling with the cost of treatment having been refused an NHS prescription.
The charity's co-founder Henry Shelford said: "It's so expensive for an individual.
"You've got the cost of seeing a person, often every month. You've got the prescription cost. You've got the retail cost of the medication.
"And this is for things you would get on the NHS if the NHS had proper services."
The Department of Health and Social Care said it was working to "prioritise early intervention and provide support for people with ADHD".
