A woman who has been declined an appointment date for an ADHD assessment said the lack of services in West Cork is undermining her quality of life.
‘I feel like I’m trying to keep my head above water while holding on to a leaking lifebuoy,’ the woman told The Southern Star.
‘So much of my energy is spent simply on surviving while my health could be dealt with in a better way with the right diagnosis and medication.’
The woman, who asked for her name to be withheld, pointed out that there are EU laws governing patient treatment, and she claims the system in West Cork is failing both young and old.
A spokesperson for the Health Service Executive (HSE) South West acknowledged that they have had to ‘temporarily pause referrals to ADHD assessments in West Cork due to a high volume of referrals received by the service, and challenges with recruitment which has placed significant pressure on available resources.
‘The service is unable to accept new referrals from GPs for ADHD assessments in this area. We understand this may cause distress and frustration for individuals seeking support, and we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused.’
The HSE did, however, say that if a GP has ‘significant concerns’ about a patient’s mental health, referrals may still be accepted by the local Adult Mental Health Team for a broader assessment.
The woman first requested an appointment for an assessment 18 months ago, and she responded to the HSE statement saying: ‘If someone had a broken leg, would you let them wait one-and-a-half years?
‘If I received a diagnosis, I would get the right medication and ADHD specific counselling, which would make my life so much easier. It is more than just putting a label on something,’ said the woman. ‘It’s also about wanting to be acknowledged.
‘I am an ordinary person. I am not hyperactive, but all the busyness is in my head and what would seem like a normal task for one person would seem like a disaster for me.
‘If my condition was regulated,’ she added, ‘I could start to live a normal life on the outside and on the inside too. Initially I was referred to a centre in Dunmanway only to be told that the main consultant had left and that a new consultant was trying to catch up with the caseload.
‘ADHD is affecting my life on a daily basis,’ she stated. ‘At the moment I’m taking antidepressants, but I have been told that this medication could be a health hazard and present problems for another physical ailment that I have.’
The woman said the delay, and her sense of worry, has become so great she is contemplating getting tested abroad, but no one can tell her if such a test would be accredited here.
