What is ADHD? 

ADHD is an abbreviation for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. The core symptoms of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

  • Inattention – This is difficulty staying focused. You may find it hard to keep deadlines. Your memory may be poor – you may forget       appointments, deadlines or to pay bills. You may be disorganised, or easily distracted. 
  • Hyperactivity – this means you may have difficulty staying still. You may feel restless and you could be overly talkative.
  • Impulsivity – This means you could speak, interrupt or act without thinking of the consequences.  

Some individuals may experience difficulties prioritising, focusing or staying on  tasks and have issues with multi-tasking, completing tasks on time or have issues with time management in general. Tasks that take longer to complete may be postponed. Further symptoms may include rapid change in mood, difficulties  in dealing with stress, becoming easily frustrated or losing track in a conversation.

ADHD  symptoms do not include rumination, anxiety about going outside or using public transport, panic attacks, low mood, lack of motivation, suicidal thoughts, violence, aggression or harm towards property, yourself or other people. If you are experiencing these feelings, please seek support from either your GP who can refer you to mental health services or contact the CWP urgent mental health helpline on (0800) 145 6485 which is available 24 hours a day, 365  days a year.

What does the Adult ADHD service provide?

The CWP Adult ADHD service is a specialist that provides assessment, diagnosis, treatment and stabilisation of ADHD and its core symptoms in adults. The service is available to adults registered with a GP in the Boroughs of Wirral,  Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East and the City of Liverpool. The ADHD service does not provide treatment or support for other known mental health issues and is not an emergency response service.

Who are the Adult ADHD team?

The service is a multi-disciplinary team comprising:

  • Consultant Psychiatrists
  • Speciality Doctor
  • Service Manager and Senior Clinical Specialist Nurse 
  • Clinical Specialist Nurses
  • Clinical Support Workers  
  • Administrators

Medics and clinical specialist nurses are all prescribers and can assess, diagnose, treat and stabilise ADHD symptoms. All are able to prescribe medication. Clinical support workers provide advice and support to patients using verbal assessment tools and collecting data and other important information that will help in the assessment process. They also provide pre- and postdiagnosis support through educational workshops.

What can I expect after I have been referred?

Referrals are accepted from a qualified healthcare professional. When received by the service, referrals are triaged. This includes a ‘needs stratification’ process which helps us to prioritise referrals based on clinical need and identify any issues requiring support or intervention from other services.

Once a referral has been accepted, you and the referrer will be informed that you will be added to the waiting list. Please be aware that due to very high demand, the current average waiting time is over three years. Once you receive an appointment letter, this means you have been accepted into the service. If you have any mental health concerns, please contact your GP. 

What  will happen at my first appointment?

You will be notified about your first appointment by letter. You may also receive a telephone call. If you have opted to receive one, you will receive a text message reminder. Your first appointment with our service will typically involve an assessment. The assessment is an in-depth process, so please allow up to  two hours for this appointment.

The assessment process is comprehensive holistic assessment exploring your symptoms and will be undertaken by one of our doctors or clinical specialist nurses. It will involve a discussion about the current problems that affect your day to day life and cause significant impairments in different aspects of your life such as education, employment and relationships. With you, your assessor will identify for treatment target symptoms caused by the condition of ADHD.

Understanding of your developmental and childhood history is important for the diagnosis of ADHD. For this appointment, it would be helpful to bring any information or details relating to school reports, information on previous medication, childhood behaviours, developmental milestones and experiences.       

You may wish to provide information from somebody who knows you well such as a family member or close friend. You may wish for them to accompany you to your appointment. Due to the high demand for the service, we operate a policy whereby if you  do not attend two appointments without notifying us beforehand, you will be discharged from the service. This helps us to minimize wasted appointments and see other people.

What happens at future appointments?

You will be expected to attend further follow-up appointments, which will be used to ensure your treatment plan is working and effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD. Through this process, it is likely there could be small changes or modifications to your treatment to ensure that you are getting the best results from your care plan. 

You may have up to six, 30-minute follow-up appointments with our service after your initial assessment.

What happens when my condition and medication are stable?

There are different arrangements depending on where you live.

  • Wirral
    • You will be discharged from our service to the Leading Excellence for ADHD in Primary Care (LEAP) clinic of specialist GPs. Your GP may re-refer you back to our service if additional specialist input is needed.
  • Liverpool or Cheshire
    • We will request shared care with your GP. This means that you will be reviewed every six months, alternating between your GP and the ADHD Service. If you GP cannot provide shared care, you will remain with our service for review every six months. 
  • Liverpool, Wirral and Cheshire
    • There may be a reason that you need to remain with the adult ADHD service. We would review your treatment every 6 or 12 months depending on your clinical needs in relation to your ADHD.

Workshops    

The service runs educational workshops for people awaiting an  assessment for ADHD and for those who have already been diagnosed. These workshops cover topics such as:

  • What is ADHD?
  • ADHD and anxiety
  • ADHD and sleep

Self-help hints and tips

  • Try to get a good night’s sleep by turning off electronic devices,   such as mobile telephones or tablet computers, an hour before   sleep.
  • Eat a healthy and balanced diet, with enough fresh fruit and vegetables. 
  • Get regular exercise, this could include a brisk walk.
  • Worried, stressed or anxious? Talk to someone about it; don’t bottle it up problems or worries. 
  • Got too much to do? Break down tasks or work in small chunks or steps, take your time.
  • If it helps create a routine in your daily life. If structure works for you – use it. Try setting reminders.
  • Try and find or do a hobby. This will encourage you to learn maybe a new skill and can help make new friends. 
  • Focus on the positives in your life, not the negatives. Nobody is perfect, but everybody has strengths and skills.

Useful website links

Giving feedback

Getting feedback on our service from people who use our service and their families is really important to us. Your feedback helps us to keep making our service ‘the best it can be’. Please tell us what you think either by completing a feedback form, which we will give to you, or by responding to the Friends and Family text or voice message which is sent to your mobile phone.

A few weeks after an appointment you may receive a telephone call to get your feedback on the service, based on your latest appointment.

Patient and Carer Experience Team including Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Our PALS officer can offer:

  • Information and advice about any of our services
  • Support and advice to help sort out any problems you may have with our services
  • Information about how to make a complaint

You can contact PALS: 

  • Telephone: 0800 195 4462
  • Email: cwp.pals@nhs.net
  • For a PALS information leaflet please speak to a member of staff.