Addaptability UK
About
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s Addaptability UK. I love writing about my daily life and what interests me, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers. The site is an open and honest platform about how to make the best of what comes my way.
Addaptability UK is truly my passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy my site and all of the unique content I offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what exhilarates you as well. Are you ready to be inspired?
Who We Are
Based in Cambridgeshire, ADDapt Ability is a non-profit social enterprise that was conceived in November 2011 by adults with ADHD concerned with the widespread lack of recognition for the disorder throughout the United Kingdom. With personal knowledge and experience of the challenges faced by living with ADHD, we saw it as imperative that individuals with ADHD continue to receive support beyond childhood. This was a response to activities occurring in Cambridgeshire, which prevented both diagnosis and treatment for adults investigating ADHD.
Why did we start an Adult ADHD Action Campaign?
There are very few areas in the UK which provide a diagnosis and treatment service for adults who suspect they may have ADHD. Currently it takes around 12 months and extensive consultations to see a specialist and obtain a diagnosis, and very few specialist services accept out of area referrals.
For 10 years, the Cambridge Neuroscience department at the University of Cambridge ran a research clinic at Addenbrookes Hospital, offering diagnosis and treatment on a very limited basis. This has been headed most recently by Dr. Ulrich Müller, who has been campaigning for a full service to be put in place.
The Full Story
July 2011
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Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Public Health Network, part of NHS Cambridgeshire, created a policy which stated that funding would not be available for diagnosis or treatment with methyphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Equasym) on NH prescription to adults with ADHD who cannot demonstrate that they have had treatment as a child or an adolescent. This means that anyone who is seeking or receives a diagnosis of ADHD in adulthood would no longer receive any support or be prescribed medication.
Simultaneously, Dr. Müller was forced to close the research clinic, as it was running on research time and he could not gain funding or support from the university or the NHS. This reduced any service locally to non-existent.
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December 2011
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We held a public meeting to bring together people who were affected by adult ADHD to plan a campaign to raise awareness for the need for support for adults with ADHD. We encouraged everyone to write letters to NHS Cambridgeshire about their experiences, to contact their local counsellors and MPs. AADD-UK assisted us substantially by submitting a letter to NHS Cambridgeshire outlining how this policy was against the Equalities Act. We established links with other services who work with adults with ADHD, such as the Disability Service at Cambridge University. Rebecca Champ was also interviewed on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.
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January 2012
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We organised 30 participants to meet with Mental Health representatives from NHS Cambridgeshire to discuss including a support for adult ADHD in the redesign of mental health services locally. This resulted in the draft design of a pathway for working with adults with ADHD, which was released in September 2012. This included plans for a clinic which would provide diagnosis, medication management, group psychotherapy and 1 to 1 sessions of CBT. There are also future plans for additional clinics and services. The action plan for this clinic was agreed in November 2012.
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November 2013
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Rebecca Champ and Terry Laverty were very pleased to attend and speak at the first Cambridge Adult ADHD Symposium - ADHD in Adults: Research and Clinical Implications. This celebrated the launch of the new Adult ADHD service in Cambridge and Peterborough. We continue to support services for adults with ADHD by sending representatives to local Service Users groups, and maintain contact with mental health services to assist with the developing services.
