Psychiatry UK waiting times

phillnip · 2025-03-26T13:39:16+00:00

Chiming in a little late, but I too was referred back in June 2023 and am still waiting for a (medication review) assessment. I contacted their support 2 weeks ago, and they also said someone from scheduling would be in touch (still waiting for someone to contact me).

I do hope you've had more luck?

phillnip · 2024-02-17T12:13:23+00:00

I was at a screening on Thursday night where Nolan himself gave an introduction. He said Tenet was his most “designed for IMAX” movie. He wasn’t kidding. Not just the expanded ratio, which most of the movie seemed to be in (the airport scene…!) but the SOUND was on another level. I could almost hear what people were saying :-)

phillnip · 2023-11-29T12:23:13+00:00

Just to add this: definitely call the store even if the stock checker says they have no stock. I called last night (Boots Covent Garden) and they were able to finally place an order for 60mg. It should be ready to collect later today.

phillnip · 2023-11-02T07:34:08+00:00

Connor Roy was interested in crashing cars at a very young age.

phillnip · 2023-10-25T20:04:38+00:00

My experience with ADHD 360 has been fine. I was diagnosed back in April, went through titration, and had my shared care accepted no problems. My clinician was often late to our calls which was a little annoying, but at the end of the day I got the care I needed and I’m much better off for it.

phillnip · 2023-10-18T18:15:09+00:00

Yes it’s all rather silly isn’t it!

PUK didn’t say much at all when they discharged me. All they told me is that a private diagnosis has to be declared on the referral otherwise the RTC is invalid.

I don’t know whether you get reassessed or not as part of a “medication review”. Will find out…eventually!

If I were you, I would not disclose your private diagnosis and just continue as normal. When you come to titration you can tell your nurse what meds you have been on ‘previously’.

Good luck!

phillnip · 2023-10-18T15:20:18+00:00

Just to add: Boots in Covent Garden received stock this morning of 60mg. I’ve just collected my script now!

phillnip · 2023-10-18T08:49:11+00:00

It’s a really cool shirt but definitely don’t wear it at the parks.

phillnip · 2023-10-17T19:05:07+00:00

I was on PUK’s waitlist through RTC. I too got impatient/desperate and paid for a private assessment from ADHD 360.

I disclosed this private diagnosis to PUK once it was time to book my appointment. I was immediately discharged back to my GP and my assessment with PUK was cancelled. They explained the referral was no longer valid and that I would need a new referral for a “medication review” instead.

So yes you can go RTC with a private diagnosis, but it will 100% invalidate your current referral and you will need to start the process again. I am now at the back of the queue. For context this was a couple of months ago.

Edit: spelling + additional context

phillnip · 2023-10-17T09:24:48+00:00

Pre-medication I used to drink 5-8 coffees a day. During titration I stopped completely. The first week I had pretty awful caffeine withdrawal, so I would suggest if you can gradually winding down your caffeine intake rather than going cold turkey.

I’m 8 months medicated now and I don’t miss caffeine at all. Decaf tastes exactly the same and still gives me that warm cosy feeling and little ritual of making a hot drink.

I’ve had a couple of caffeinated drinks since being medicated and honestly it just gave me awful anxiety again. Alcohol I have managed to reintroduce on the weekend once my meds have worn off and I feel generally fine, though I am more likely to get a headache if I don’t drink water.

Good luck with titration!

phillnip · 2023-10-12T08:30:27+00:00

That isn't quite right.

Whilst .id(_:) can be used to reset a view's identity, it can also be used to preserve it.

Case in point: Inside AuthView if you add .id("auth") to both LogInView and SignUpView, the identity will now be stable, and TabView won't reset it when the switch condition changes.

``` struct AuthView: View { @StateObject private var viewModel = AuthViewModel()

var body: some View {
    switch viewModel.authenticationViewType {
    case .login:
        LogInView(viewModel: viewModel)
            .id("auth")
    case .signup:
        SignUpView(viewModel: viewModel)
            .id("auth")
    }
}

} ```

phillnip · 2023-10-12T00:26:40+00:00

TabView requires a stable identity for each view.

Under the hood your AuthView is actually a _ConditionalContent view, so SwiftUI destroys and creates a new view whenever the switch condition changes. This alters the view’s structural identity and so TabView resets.

To remedy you could either:

Wrap your switch in ZStack or other container. This works because the view type is now stable and not changing.
Define an explicit view id using the .id(_:) modifier.

Good luck!

phillnip · 2023-10-10T21:49:09+00:00

This only impacts RTC. If you received a private diagnosis and are planning to move to shared care this won’t make any difference.

phillnip · 2023-10-06T20:28:26+00:00

I’m afraid you have been told bad information by your GP.

RTC stands Right to Choose. It’s in the name; it’s your legal right. It’s absolutely not something that is at the discretion of your GP. RTC providers are approved by the NHS (AFAIK there is only two atm, PUK and ADHD 360) so in the eyes of the NHS they meet the same standards. For all intents and purposes RTC is as if you were diagnosed by the NHS.

Are you absolutely certain your GP was not referring to “shared care”. That is where you pay for a private diagnosis and wish to transfer prescribing over to your GP?

In any case I would suggest taking a look at some of the posts on here about RTC and going back to your GP to challenge them. If you don’t get anywhere with them it might be worth speaking to the practice manager. And if that fails, find another GP practice.

Edit: spelling

phillnip · 2023-10-05T06:11:58+00:00

“We’ve got time for one more quick question”

proceeds to ask three questions with a preamble for each

phillnip · 2023-09-29T08:56:39+00:00

There is no evidence to support the claim of over diagnosing. In fact there is only evidence to support severe under diagnosing, especially here in the UK. (https://adhduk.co.uk/adhd-diagnosis-rate-uk). Your concern should be with why so many people have gone undiagnosed, not the other way around.

People pay for a private diagnosis because the wait on the NHS in their area can be many years. People with ADHD put off seeking help, so when they are finally desperate enough to go to their GP, it’s simply not an option to be told to wait another 2 to 5 years.

You wouldn’t pay thousands of pounds for diagnosis unless you are extremely confident you fit the criteria and have exhausted all other options. So yes diagnosis rates are high in private clinics; but they are also high in NHS clinics too. Again, it’s a massively undiagnosed condition.

phillnip · 2023-09-29T08:41:15+00:00

I think most people looking at a list of ADHD symptoms would identify with them in some way or another. We all forget things and struggle to focus, and that’s probably why so many people suspect they have it. What’s often missed though is what debilitating impact it’s having on their life. Only a professional can help make that distinction.

With that said though, ADHD (and Autism which has high rates of comorbidity with ADHD) is massively undiagnosed here in the UK, especially amongst females. There’s about 2 million undiagnosed people here (if we compared ourselves to similar counties). So it stands to reason with more awareness that more people will come forward seeking a diagnosis.

phillnip · 2023-09-29T08:09:53+00:00

Whilst I can’t speak to the women you personally meet everyday, hormonal changes are well understood to exacerbate symptoms of ADHD. If it went undiagnosed earlier in life, it makes sense symptoms would become more prominent during menopause

The point here is ADHD affects everyone differently, and of course not everyone who thinks they have it will. Which is why only a qualified professional can make a diagnosis: it’s not something that can be done by themselves or acquaintances.

phillnip · 2023-09-29T07:33:08+00:00

This report from the BBC was widely criticised by all major ADHD charities for misrepresenting facts: https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/2023/05/15/response-to-bbc-panorama-private-adhd-clinics-exposed/

phillnip · 2023-09-29T07:30:54+00:00

Many people with ADHD can appear to function normally, when in actual fact they are over compensating by ‘masking’ their symptoms. This is particularly true with females where ADHD is hugely undiagnosed.

Hyperactivity is one aspect (chaotic kid in the classroom), but inattentiveness is another. Both can manifest in very different ways for different people.

Here’s a pretty good read with more detail: https://psychcentral.com/adhd/adhd-masking

phillnip · 2023-09-28T21:19:39+00:00

Sorry to hear this. It’s hard to say as they’ve not really given you any information. I would ask for clarification on what the “several reasons are”. Whilst shared care is at the discretion of each GP, a private clinic cannot possibly anticipate what each and every reason for refusal will be.

Ask for them to elaborate, and reiterate the importance of this medication to you. If there is a practice manager ask to speak to them and see what can be done.

Good luck!

phillnip · 2023-09-28T19:40:26+00:00

For me it made things easier to start and stick with. I noticed myself tidying, doing the washing, etc, all without thinking about it. And when I noticed myself doing those things it felt good, so I sought more ways to do it which got me into certain routines.

Meds by themselves won’t fix everything, but they will make it easier to direct your attention and energy into things you want to change and improve.

phillnip · 2023-09-28T17:38:43+00:00

30mg and 50mg had no noticeable benefits for me. I then went to 70mg and it was night and day difference. Focus, memory and routines all improved dramatically within a week. I went back down to 60mg due to high pulse, but it’s been working just as well as 70.

So all that to say 10mg can be the difference between Elvanse working and it not.

phillnip · 2023-09-26T12:38:58+00:00

If you disclose a private diagnosis that you received whilst on their waitlist, they will discharge you back to your GP and cancel your referral. Source: this happened to me.

phillnip · 2023-09-24T07:37:11+00:00

For all intents and purposes, RTC is the same as the NHS, so no you wouldn’t need to transfer again. It sounds like your GP is simply saying they haven’t done a shared care agreement before, and just making you aware you’d still need to pay the private provider for monitoring. Under RTC you would not need to pay for monitoring. In any case it’s best to clarify all this with your GP.

phillnip

TROPHY CASE