GPs need better training to recognise attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients and should be incentivised to take on aspects of care for the condition, a major review recommends.1
The ADHD taskforce—launched by the government and the NHS in response to rising demand for care—said that GPs should have “a central role” in diagnosing and managing ADHD. This would be similar to how they help patients with other chronic conditions such as diabetes or depression, the report said.
In England, “there is consistent evidence that ADHD is under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated (including with medication),” the taskforce’s final report reads.
Chaired by the child psychiatrist Anita Thapar, the taskforce said that the growing number of people seeking assessment and support for ADHD was putting services under huge strain and causing long waits for diagnosis and treatment. “Given how common ADHD is, there is an urgent need for all GPs . . . to develop and use …
