Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-wxvwp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-15T05:29:17.609Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Does Treating Adult ADHD Reduce GP Mental Health Workload?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2026

Richard Bunn,
Jonathan Hunter,
James Gilliland,
Adrian McCauley and
Sarah O'Hagan
Richard Bunn
Affiliation:
NHS, Belfast, United Kingdom
Jonathan Hunter
Affiliation:
NHS, Belfast, United Kingdom
James Gilliland
Affiliation:
GP Practice, Belfast, United Kingdom
Adrian McCauley
Affiliation:
GP Practice, Belfast, United Kingdom
Sarah O'Hagan
Affiliation:
GP Practice, Belfast, United Kingdom
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.
Aims:

To determine if treating ADHD in a busy inner city GP practice reduces the workload of GP’S and reduces frequency of missed appointments

Methods:

Data was collected from a GP surgery in Belfast which prescribes ADHD medication according to Shared Care Guidelines. Patients were excluded if they had been on ADHD medication for less than 12 months (as of November 2024) or if they had received a diagnosis from childhood. 19 Patients were found to fit the criteria. Data was collected to compare the number of missed appointments pre vs post ADHD diagnosis and treatment, as well as comparing the number of consultations which patients required related to their mental health.

Results:

Results from this Audit found that there was no significant difference in the number of appointments which patients missed in the 12 months before ADHD treatment and diagnosis compared to after. On the other hand, it was found that the number of GP Consultations related to Mental Health almost halved (37 to 19) in the 12 months after ADHD treatment and diagnosis compared to the 12 months before.

Conclusion:

Findings indicate that the diagnosis and treatment of patients with ADHD, reduces the burden which they place on Primary Care services, not only in time spent with the GP but also contacting receptionist, practice nurse prescriptions etc, never mind the benefits for the patient and their loved ones.

Information

Type
Service Evaluation
Information
BJPsych Open , Volume 12 , Supplement S1: Abstracts from the RCPsych International Congress 2026, 15–18 June , June 2026, pp. S229
Check for updates
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists

Footnotes

Abstracts were reviewed by the RCPsych Academic Faculty rather than by the standard BJPsych Open peer review process and should not be quoted as peer-reviewed by BJPsych Open in any subsequent publication.

Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.