Patients are diagnosed with ADHD 'following unreliable video calls'

Patients are wrongly diagnosed with ADHD and offered powerful drugs ‘following unreliable video call assessments with private clinics’, undercover investigation reveals

• Reporter was told he had the condition after calls with three private clinics
• But more thorough NHS assessment held in-person showed he did not have it

Patients in Britain are being diagnosed with ADHD and offered powerful drugs after unreliable video call assessments with private clinics, it was claimed today.

An undercover reporter was told he had the condition after calls with three clinics – Harley Psychiatrists in London, ADHD Direct in Glasgow and ADHD 360 in Lincoln.

But a more thorough NHS assessment which was held in-person then showed he did not have the condition, known in full as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

An investigation was carried out after tip-offs about poor and rushed assessments at some private clinics, with dozens of patients and whistleblowers spoken to.

The findings were revealed in a new BBC Panorama documentary ‘Private ADHD Clinics Exposed’ which is now on iPlayer and will air on BBC One tonight at 8pm.

BBC reporter Rory Carson went undercover at Harley Psychiatrists with a £685 assessment, and got a score of 15 out of 18 following a 45-minute video call with a psychologist (pictured)

It was also claimed that clinics are carrying out only a limited mental health assessment, and the NHS was paying for thousands of patients to go private.

How attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can affect people 

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition affecting behaviour, which can make people seem restless, have trouble concentrating and act on impulse.

Symptoms are normally noticed at a young age and can often become more identifiable when a child starts school.

Most cases are diagnosed when children are aged under 12, but people can still be diagnosed as an adult.

Many people with ADHD can also suffer from sleep and anxiety disorders.

While the exact cause is unknown, the NHS states that the condition has been shown to run in families.

Among the factors that could have a role in ADHD are being born prematurely; having a low birthweight; and smoking or alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy.

While there is no cure, the NHS advises that the condition can be managed with appropriate educational support, advice and support and medicine if necessary.

And the show raised concerns over long-term prescriptions of powerful drugs being dished out without advice on potential side effects or enough attention given to a patient’s medical history.

The wait time to get an NHS assessment can be up to five years in some areas, which is leading patients to pay hundreds of pounds to instead get an appointment at a private clinic. And the NHS is also paying for thousands of these private assessments to help lower waiting lists.

Panorama’s reporter Rory Carson gave truthful answers to questions about his symptoms in each of the assessments.

For the NHS assessment, he and his family filled out forms about his habits and childhood background before a three-hour appointment including a full psychiatric assessment.

But NHS consultant psychiatrist Dr Mike Smith concluded that Mr Carson did not have any of the 18 recognised symptoms indicative of ADHD.

Then, Mr Carson went undercover at Harley Psychiatrists with a £685 assessment, and got a score of 15 out of 18 following a 45-minute video call.

He then had a second appointment one week later that lasted ten minutes, and was prescribed the stimulant methylphenidate without being warned about the possible side effects.

But lawyers for Harley Psychiatrists told the BBC: ‘The suggestion there is a high risk our client is misdiagnosing adults with ADHD is untrue and unsubstantiated – as is the suggestion that adequate checks are not conducted.’

Mr Carson was also assessed by ADHD Direct, which cost £1,095 and lasted one hour and 40 minutes. He was once again diagnosed with ADHD at a second appointment and offered a prescription for stimulants.

Lawyers for ADHD Direct told the BBC that more checks would have been done before Mr Carson actually got the drugs, and the clinic ‘stands by its diagnosis’.

NHS consultant psychiatrist Dr Mike Smith (right) concluded that BBC Panorama Rory Carson (left) did not have any of the 18 recognised symptoms indicative of ADHD – a different diagnosis to the three private clinics, which all concluded that he did have the condition

And Mr Carson also had an online appointment with ADHD 360, where he claimed he was diagnosed with ADHD after one hour and 15 minutes and prescribed stimulants without proper checks.

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ADHD 360 said that while it delivers ‘high standard assessment, diagnosis, treatment and care’ for thousands of patients, in this incidence its ‘prescription policy was regrettably not followed’ and ‘procedures have now been reviewed’ and improved.

Dr Smith said he was worried over how many people could ‘potentially have received an incorrect diagnosis and been started on medications inappropriately’, adding: ‘The scale is massive.’

Dr Smith, who leads a specialist NHS adult ADHD service, also said that taking medication for the condition such as methylphenidate can be a dangerous health risk if you do not have the disorder.

Stimulants used for treating ADHD are defined as Class B drugs which are controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

ADHD is defined by the NHS as a ‘condition that affects people’s behaviour’ and that people with it can ‘seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse’.

Under the Equality Act 2010, it can be considered a disability based on the impact it has on someone’s capability to carry out normal daily activities.

MailOnline has also contacted all three private clinics for comment today. 

Private ADHD Clinics Exposed is now available on iPlayer and will air on BBC One tonight at 8pm in England and Scotland and 8.30pm in Wales and Northern Ireland

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