'Thousands' of Wirral Kids Taking Pescription Drugs For ADHD
New figures have revealed thousands of kids in Wirral are taking pescription drugs to treat ADHD
According to the research over £300'000 is being spent in the borough every year on medication, mostly on children..
In Liverpool £97,360 a year is spent on ADHD drugs that are prescribed to 0.48% of the population,
The condition means people can suffer from a lack of attention, focus and become hyper - active.
Dr Tony Lloyd from the ADHD Foundation in Liverpool said:
"There are more children in Wirral being medicated than anywhere else in the country by a big margin"
"It's about giving parents choice. Even the pharmacutical companies say these drugs aren't a cure. They should be used to support kids who have ADHD in a severe form to help them get through school"
In a stament: Wirral Clincial Commisioning Group said:
ADHD medication is recommended by a specialist rather than a GP and hence its use is not initiated by GPs in primary care. In Wirral, once a specialist has recommended the medication, the GPs will then prescribe; however, in other areas prescribing is often retained within the Mental Health Trusts or Community Trusts rather than in GP practices. Wirral also has an adult ADHD service lead by a hospital consultant which other areas such as Warrington do not currently commission. These different clinical practises will distort the figures so that the table does not show a like-with-like comparison.
That said, the CCG is looking at a range of initiatives to support increased non-pharmacological therapies.